Henkei
by FromTheDepthsOfInsanity
Summary: While out on a mission, Urameshi Yuusuke is struck with a curse - that transforms him into a puppy! No one knows how long he'll be stuck in this form, not even KoEnma himself. Who will take care of the Reikai Tantei in his time of need?
1. WHAT HAPPENED!

**Author's Note: **Hey all! I know my reader's were probably expecting an update on my Gravitation and Naruto fanfictions, however, I am writing this for a dear friend who is turning eighteen. It's a gift for her and hopefully she likes it. I hope you all do as well. HAPPY BIRTHDAY KRISTINE!  
**Warnings: **Yaoi/shounen-ai/boyxboy, Kurama-x-Yuusuke, language, lime?  
**Summary: **While out on a mission, Urameshi Yuusuke is struck with a curse - that transforms him into a puppy! No one knows how long he'll be stuck in this form, not even KoEnma himself. Who will take care of the Reikai Tantei in his time of need?**  
Disclaimer: **Yuu Yuu Hakusho and all its characters belong to Yoshihiro Togashi. The plot was derived from a Sasunaru doujinshi. I unfortunately do not know the name and author but all the credit belongs to them.

**HENKEI  
****MINAMINO "KURAMA" SHUUICHI AND URAMESHI YUUSUKE  
****PART 1  
**

* * *

"Urameshi!"

Yuusuke glanced over his shoulder for a split second to see his teammates, Kuwabara, Kurama, and Hiei. A short smile played over his features as he jumped away from yet another barrage of attacks. This mission was supposed to be an easy retrieval; a get in-get out route. But, as always, Reikai intelligence had been severely misguided. The artifact that was stationed in a remote location in Makai was in fact missing in action and all that remained were youkai.

At least, Yuusuke _believed _they were youkai. Every move he made toward hitting the demons passed right through their bodies as if they weren't even there, but every move they made towards him made contact instantly. He was covered in bloody bites and long gashes from claws. His spirit energy had even begun to run low. He panted slightly before smirking. Someone had to be controlling these damn dog-things and he was determined to find them and rip out their spines to whip them with it.

"Oi! Urameshi!" Kuwabara shouted as he rushed up with Kurama and Hiei towards the Reikai Tantei.

Yuusuke took off, blatantly ignoring Kuwabara's shouting, and ran straight for the mouth of the ruins. The ghost-dogs chased after him with haste as he disappeared into the darkness.

"Where the hell does he think he's going?"

"Into the ruins obviously." Hiei retorted.

"Enough." Kurama silenced the war before it could start.

Jaws clamped down onto the back of his calves as he ran. He paid little attention. He knew someone, or something, had to be in here controlling the beasts. He had seen them when they first entered the area and the creatures had disregarded them completely. Passages upon passages sped past his line of vision; most were destroyed. The deeper he went, the more imperial his surroundings became. He finally found the light at the end of the lengthy hallway. Dog apparitions chased after him. He suddenly came to a screeching halt.

"My, my. Aren't you handsome?"

Yuusuke's eyes snapped to the voice. A woman sat with her legs over the arm of a throne, stroking a light blue cat-bear creature. He nearly gasped at the beauty she emitted. Long, black-blue, curly locks fell past her shoulders from a brown designer cap placed on her head with BOYISH written across it in electric blue letters. Her silver nails glittered in the light as she stroked furless creature. Designer clothes adorned her; a deep brown off-the-shoulder shirt, tight apple-bottom jeans, and peacock blue strap high-heels. She batted her eyelashes, decorated with teal leaf-like extensions, at him, sending glitter cascading over her cheeks and tresses. She turned her head towards him completely. A flower bloomed instantaneously behind her ear. A smile morphed her features.

"Come here, would you? I want to talk with you."

Yuusuke's eyes narrowed. He never hesitated in starting towards her. Her smile deepened. She shifted in her seat and sat upright. The creature in her arms cooed and nuzzled into her chest. Its squirrel-like tail curled and uncurled reflexively.

"_Kuruuu_. _Kuruuu_." It hummed.

Her nails raked across its head and thumbed at its rounded ears. Yuusuke stopped a few feet away from her. He continued to glare.

"I don't get many visitors. You must be after the relic. No doubt KoEnma's sent you, no? You're the cutest one by far that I've gotten. Won't you come sit with me?" She purred.

"Iie."

"Iie ka?" She questioned, offended that he refused.

"That's what I said, didn't I? Now where's this damn mirror-spear thing so I can get the hell out of here?"

"I'd love it if you would stay with me for a little while. Please?"

"I said no, damn it! Tell me where the fucking thing is so I can leave! I don't have time to mess with you!"

Her face scrunched in anger. Her eyes narrowed. The animal resting in her lap visibly stiffened and growled at the Reikai Tantei. Yuusuke snorted at it and placed his hands on his hips. Her claws dug into the poor creature's flesh.

"If you're not going to tell me where it is, I'll look for it myself."

"You may look cute but you're nothing but another lowlife. You'd be cuter if you'd listen to what I ask of you!"

"Yeah, yeah."

Her eyes remained locked on the youth as he began to search high and low for the artifact. He was determined to find it for the simple reason of being able to yell and curse at KoEnma and have a completely justified reason to do so. Her lips trembled and her cheeks twitched in repressed anger. The animal in her arms quickly scurried off, sensing the impending peril. A chest of drawers was completely dismantled as Yuusuke continued his search, still choosing to ignore the beautiful mademoiselle drilling holes into his back with her glare. Her hands knotted into fists.

"You'll suffer for not paying me heed."

Yuusuke looked up to see a rather large crack in the wall. His eyes narrowed pensively. His body suddenly went rigid as the growls of beasts grew in volume behind him. He turned swiftly. It was the cue for the hounds to attack. They bit down hard on his joints, immobilizing him completely. A cry in pain was ripped from him. The click of heels on rock mingled with the cry and the snarls. The woman's bangles jingled on her wrist, shining like semiprecious jewels. Her hand shot out as she neared him and fisted a handful of his dark hair. With a rough jerk, his head was forced back slightly. His mouth opened in a strangled, irritated gasp. He tried moving, but the dog-apparitions clamped down tighter with each small twitch.

"May I kiss you?"

"Look, lady! I was really considering NOT kicking your ass, but you're driving me up a wall! Make these damn things let me go now and I promise not to scratch your pretty little face!" Yuusuke began to screech.

"You're not going anywhere. You're going to stay here and be my cute little pet."

"Crazy wh-!"

Yuusuke's head was pulled forward and his lips crashed into the woman's. His eyes widened. His whole body started to tingle. The woman's golden-green eyes stared directly into his as she deepened the passionless kiss. Her tongue snaked past his lips and into the warm cavern of his mouth, mapping out every nook and cranny she could reach. Yuusuke remained motionless. His eyes quivered slightly in their sockets as they stared deep into the beauty's. Slowly, the warm, lively honey brown of his iris began to dull as the pupil began to fade. The woman's eyes danced with mirth and never wavered from his. It was only then did his team finally catch up with him. Kuwabara was the first to notice the scene.

"Urame-WHOA!" He stopped dead in his tracks, nearly causing Kurama to run into the back of him.

Hiei appeared beside him. Kurama side-stepped his taller teammate to look in the direction he was. Hiei's face twitched. Kuwabara began his rant.

"Urameshi, what the hell do you think you're doing? What about Keiko! She'll be pissed if she found out about this!"

"I don't think he's doing it willingly, fool."

The woman abruptly pulled away and smirked at the trio.

"You would be right." She stated with a smirk.

Swiftly, she yanked at Yuusuke's hair, forcing him to stare up at the ceiling. She ran her thumb over his lips, coaxing them open once again. In a flash, a phantom-hound broke from his place and flew up, only to dive back down into Yuusuke's waiting mouth.

"Yuusuke!" Kurama shouted.

"Too late." The woman offhandedly muttered.

The apparitions broke away from Yuusuke's body. His eyes stared at nothing. He held steady for only a moment before his body tottered and began to fall to its knees. Before his knees even hit the floor, his body was gone and the only thing that remained were his clothes. The woman smirked over them and began to reach for them. Hiei disappeared from where he stood to slice through the woman's arm. Her eyes widened. An earsplitting screech rang throughout the ruins. The phantom-hounds stirred and ran angrily through the walls and the room. Hiei stood with a tapered gaze in front of the detective's tousled garments. The woman's appendage landed not too far away from his foot and instantly turned to ash. The woman looked to him, face contorted with pain and rage as she held onto her bleeding stub of an arm. Her teeth ground together, her fangs gleamed past her lips, and a low growl rumbled in her throat.

"Kill them! Kill them all!"

The incessant barking of dogs filled the room as a countless amount seeped through the walls to attack the trio. Attacks passed right through their canine bodies, but their jaws sunk deep into their flesh. Hiei dodged most of them and attempted to get to the woman. She was slowly making her way to the very back of the room toward her throne. Kurama was attacked again. A hound, a huge bared-teeth drooling monster, rushed toward him. His eyes narrowed in on it. Sluggishly, a transformation occurred. As the dog neared, its body became more tangible.

Kurama's eyes widened. Its jaws opened wide and went in for the kill. Snapping his wrist, a long whip materialized at his side and sliced through the canine's skin. A shrill yelp echoed in the room. The apparitions waiting to attack the former thief backed off, growling and snapping at him defensively. Kuwabara blinked in confusion as the dogs backed away from them. A gasp came from the woman.

"Damn you!" She shrieked. "Don't be afraid of them! Kill them!"

The phantoms didn't move. Their fur stood on end. With another snap, Kurama's whip curled and retracted. A scowl marred his features as he looked to the woman.

"They're not ignorant." Kurama stated simply. "They know their limitations. Just before they bite, they obtain a solid body. It's a small window, but it's enough to land an attack. They're extremely vulnerable now and they understand that. You might as well call them off, or we'll kill them all."

The woman snorted. "I SAID KILL THEM!"

The dogs hesitated for a moment before slowly moving in on the trio yet again. Kurama sighed.

"As you wish then."

The hounds charged. Kuwabara tensed and stepped back. Kurama stepped in front of him. He flicked his wrist just before the dogs could bite down and sliced their bodies in half. Their corpses hit the ground with a sickening thud. Their blood poured over the rocks. The woman shook visibly.

"Iie. . ." She murmured.

The remaining mutts turned tail and ran. Hiei took the opportunity to pounce from his place in the shadows behind her and carve into the maiden's untouched flesh. Thirteen pieces hit the floor and merged with the woman's precious pooches' carcasses. The flesh ignited almost instantly and slowly began to turn to ash. Hiei snorted as he stared down at the pathetic leftovers and scanned them over. His eyes narrowed. A golden-green eyeball rolled around aimlessly, undying, among the burning mess. He started over to it and raised his boot. A flash of blue scurried under his feet and grabbed the eye up before taking off into the darkness of the ruins' hallways. Hiei stared after it before snorting again.

"Should we uhh go after it or something?" Kuwabara timidly asked.

"No. It's unimportant." Kurama answered before Hiei could.

His green gaze traveled over to the heap of clothing laying abandoned on the stone floor. He made his way over to it with Kuwabara in tow. Hiei remained where he stood. Kuwabara stayed silent as his teammate kneeled down next to the pile.

"You. . . you don't suppose he's. . ." The psychic tried.

"If he isn't, he's probably rushing back here naked screeching about something or another."

Kurama paid no attention to the developing argument. He studied the pile closely. He had seen something earlier, but he needed to make sure. His hand hovered over the shirt for a moment. It jerked slightly. His hand withdrew on instinct.

"Whoa!" Kuwabara exclaimed behind him. "What the hell was that?"

Kurama leaned in closer, tentatively sniffing on impulse. Something began to wiggle out from the sleeveless portion of the garment. To his surprise, a black nose stuck out and sniffed. Shortly after, a muzzle followed. Eyebrows raised as they watched. It suddenly began to yelp and whine. Kurama stuck his hands into the top and wrapped his hands around a squirming bundle before pulling it out.

"No. Freaking. Way." Kuwabara's elegant statement came.

Kurama stood holding the squirming bundle out and looked it over. It was a chocolate Labrador retriever. It blinked hard against the light. Its body curled up with its tail between its legs. More low whines came from it as it dangled in the air. Hiei had appeared near his companions. His crimson orbs widened as he stared. The puppy began to yip uncomfortably. Its foot came up and gently pushed at Kurama's hand. Kurama pulled it close. It buried its face into the crook of his arm. A deafening silence weighed down on the team. Kuwabara suddenly scooped up Yuusuke's clothes into his arms.

"I think we should tell KoEnma about this. . ."

Hiei and Kurama nodded in unison.

* * *

"**NANI**? HOW DID THIS HAPPEN!"

"We just explained it. We REFUSE to do so again." Hiei growled.

KoEnma reached up and massaged his temples. He had enough stress with paperwork and the increase in mishaps without finding out his Reikai Tantei had been turned into a dog, much less a _puppy_-dog. Currently, said puppy was sniffing around the office curiously. His tail wagged happily as he did. He hadn't found anything interesting yet, but he knew if he looked hard enough he would find something that plucked his fancy. Kurama's eyes watched the lab as it toddled around. Kuwabara and KoEnma argued distantly. Hiei remained silent and watched as the battle waged.

"I hardly think this is permanent."

"What gives you that idea?" Kuwabara interjected.

"You said that a 'phantom dog' went inside him - meaning that it was some form of possession. Possession can only last so long."

"Or a curse. In which case, he's fucked."

"Way to be optimistic, shorty."

"Hn! I was only telling the truth. The idiot will probably be stuck like that for the rest of his pathetic life."

"Will not!" Kuwabara yelled.

Yuusuke continued to stiff and stopped at the colossal double doors separating the office from the rest of the mansion. He stuck his nose into the crack between the floor and the door and sighed slightly before starting to whine. Pulling away a bit, he placed his paw onto the door and scratched at it. Kurama kneeled down and clicked his tongue. Yuusuke's ears perked up slightly and his head turned. Honey-brown eyes locked onto the redhead. His nose reached out slightly and sniffed before turning and starting over to him.

"He needs to stay with someone for the time being." KoEnma finally ended the fight. "He certainly cannot stay here. Kuwabara? Could he-"

"No way! My sister would KILL ME! Besides, he'd probably chase Eikichi! I don't want a dead cat!"

KoEnma sighed and turned his attention to Hiei. Hiei's brow ticked and his eyes narrowed.

"Hiei?" KoEnma asked hopefully.

Hiei's features darkened. KoEnma and Kuwabara shivered slightly.

"Well SOMEONE needs to take him! What about Keiko?"

Kuwabara shook his head. "Keiko's allergic to dogs. So's her mom."

KoEnma sighed dolefully and hung his head.

"This isn't good. This is not good at all."

A yip caught their attention. Three heads turned towards Kurama. Yuusuke barked. His front end was pressed to the floor with his rear in the air as he barked at the leaf waving in Kurama's hand. Kurama chuckled and tapped the leaf against his nose, pulling away before he could bite it and tear it to shreds. Yuusuke sat up straight and barked at the annoying leaf. His tail wagged happily. Kurama reached out and gently rubbed behind Yuusuke's ears. The detective's eyes immediately shut. His body relaxed. His head pushed up against Kurama's hand. A smile played across Kurama's face.

"It's settled then!" KoEnma exclaimed. "He'll go home with Kurama!"

Kurama looked up at the sound of his name and blinked as he scanned the faces staring at him. He blinked again in realization. His smile deepened as he nodded.

"Alright. I suppose I could keep him for a short while."

His hands reached out and grabbed Yuusuke just under his front legs. His tail wagged more as he neared Kurama's body. His arms incased the small pup. Yuusuke stood on his arms and placed his paws on Kurama's chest, forcing himself to rise up to Kurama's face. A flat, pink tongue immediately began to run over Kurama's chin and neck. Small yips in happiness escaped the excited pup. Another chuckle came from Kurama. His hand ran down the length of the pup's body, earning shivers and yips in delight. Kurama situated Yuusuke in his arms before bidding KoEnma and his companions adieu. Yuusuke's muzzle found Kurama's shoulder and rested against it. His eyes perked up as he looked around.

_I wonder where I'm going now._

* * *

Henkei - Translates to - Transformation

**Author's note**: I'M LATE! DD:! I'M A TERRIBLE PERSON! Again, I've very sorry I didn't update my other fics. Rest assured, they're half way done! I just need to finish and get them published to the 'net. I hope you enjoyed this fic. The beginning was short I must admit, but that's alright. I promise longer chapters after this one! I don't exactly know how long this story is going to be, but I can assure you it'll be very fun to write! I would like to thank the author of the Naruto doujinshi that inspired this fic. I'm sorry but I neither know the name of the author or the title of their work. I wish I did. I hope you enjoyed this! Please review! They're greatly appreciated!


	2. Welcome Home

**Author's Note:** Unedited. Enjoy as is.  
**Warnings: **Yaoi/shounen-ai/boyxboy, Kurama-x-Yuusuke, language, lime?  
**Summary: **While out on a mission, Urameshi Yuusuke is struck with a curse - that transforms him into a puppy! No one knows how long he'll be stuck in this form, not even KoEnma himself. Who will take care of the Reikai Tantei in his time of need?  
**Disclaimer: **Yuu Yuu Hakusho and all its characters belong to Yoshihiro Togashi. The plot was derived from a Sasunaru doujinshi. I unfortunately do not know the name and author but all the credit belongs to them.

**HENKEI  
MINAMINO "KURAMA" SHUUICHI AND URAMESHI YUUSUKE  
PART 2  
**

* * *

The Hatanaka household was thankfully absent of life. He had expected as much. With his mother and stepfather out on another trip, curtsey of his stepfather's position, he and Shuuichi were the home's only guardians. Who knew where he could be at the moment. He often flitted back and forth between friends' homes and his own. Kurama was slightly more than ecstatic for the silence.

The key slid into the lock smoothly enough. The familiar click of the safety catch snapped. The pup's ears perked up. Yuusuke leaned forward in Kurama's arms and sniffed at the lock. After a quick scratch behind Yuusuke's ears, Kurama pushed the door open and stepped inside. Tenderly, he placed Yuusuke on his paws and shut the door. Yuusuke stood rigid for a moment and gazed around the new environment. Kurama kept a careful eye on him as he slipped off his shoes. He blinked slowly. When his eyes opened, Yuusuke was gone. He stepped up and looked around in confusion, only to see an erect tail round a corner. He immediately went after it and followed it into the hallway.

"Yuusuke?"

His call was answered by whimpers and whines in frustration. He looked around a corner to the stairs leading up to the bedrooms. He chuckled and shook his head at the sight. The pup was attempting to climb the stairs, but was still too small to climb them easily. He took them slowly at first, hoisting his bottom up as he dangled from the ledge, before he began to get the hang of the action, but by that time Kurama scooped him up back into his arms. The pup yipped in surprise and curled up, digging its claws into Kurama's wrists and hands. Kurama chuckled again and touched noses with the infant dog. Yuusuke began to pant and licked at Kurama's face while he had the chance.

"Get too curious and you're bound to get into trouble."

"Shuuichi!" A younger voice called. "Tadaima!"

Yuusuke's ear rose on his head. He turned to face where the new sound came from. His head cocked to the side.

"Shuu-nii, are you here?"

"Well, that silence was a bit short-lived." Kurama stated to Yuusuke.

Yuusuke only panted, ignoring Kurama completely. Kurama shook his head again. A pair of stormy blue eyes peered around the corner. A smile blossomed on the youth's face.

"There you are, Shuu-nii! I was beginning to wonder if I had the house to myself."

"Okaeri nasai." Kurama said politely. "Unfortunately, you do not."

Shuuichi began to walk toward his elder step-sibling. Kurama held Yuusuke close. He began to squirm in his arms.

"Otou-san cal-"

Yuusuke erupted into a fit of barking when Shuuichi drew nearer. His tail was nearly invisible as he wagged it. Shuuichi jumped and backed away slightly in astonishment. Kurama covered his mouth in an attempt to mask his amusement. Yuusuke's tail fell limply. A low whine came from his throat.

"K-koinu?" Shuuichi chirped.

Kurama nodded and petted Yuusuke's head. Yuusuke placed his muzzle on Kurama's arm and stared at Shuuichi. Shuuichi walked forward and held out his hand. Yuusuke didn't even bother sniffing at him and immediately began to lap at his fingertips, tail immediately picking back up with wagging. Shuuichi giggled and reached out to take Yuusuke into his arms. Kurama hesitantly allowed it.

"What made you decide to get a dog?"

Kurama was silent for a moment. A smile suddenly crossed his features. He shook his head in denial.

"He's not mine."

Shuuichi shot his elder step-sibling a questioning look.

"I'm caring for him while a friend is out of town. He won't be staying for long."

"Aww. Too bad." He said offhandedly. "Does he have a name?"

"Yuusuke."

The pup's head turned to him at the sound of his name. His ears perked and tensed. Shuuichi giggled and scratched Yuusuke's head.

"What an odd name."

Yuusuke snorted. Kurama took the detective from his brother's arms as a sudden wave of worry passed over him. It's not as if he didn't trust his brother. He simply didn't trust Yuusuke in his state. His humanity was completely lost and the puppy mentality was fully apparent. Having once been a pup, in a sense, himself, Kurama knew just how much trouble a kit could cause. He'd rather not have the detective turned demon turned dog roaming about with his ill-informed, pubescent brother.

"I think it's rather fitting."

"For a dog?"

"What would you name him then?"

"Hmm." Shuuichi pondered before snapping. "Kuro!"

Kurama laughed lightly before setting Yuusuke on the floor. Shuuichi watched as he began to sniff around his feet.

"I don't believe he'll answer to that."

Shuuichi squatted down. Yuusuke circled around him and continued to sniff.

"Kuro-kun!"

Yuusuke continued to sniff. Shuuichi clicked his tongue and called for him again. Still, nothing. Kurama knelt down and held out his hand.

"Yuusuke."

Yuusuke bounded over to him instantly and began to search his hand. Huffing when he found nothing worth interest, he turned and toddled down the hall. Kurama shook his head as he watched him before standing up and straightening himself out. He went to follow. Shuuichi beat him to it.

"I'll watch him for you!"

He rounded the corner and disappeared. Kurama sighed uneasily before heading into the kitchen. His fear of Yuusuke spontaneously changing back to his human self plagued his mind as he gathered all the ingredients for tonight's dinner. Not ten minutes into creating his masterpiece did the scratching of nails against tile rapidly catch his attention immediately. Yuusuke took off across the kitchen floor barking at the top of his lungs. Kurama threw him a questioning glance.

"Yuuuuuuuusukeeeeee!" Shuuichi called.

Yuusuke turned tail and ran, looking for the teenage boy. He wound back up into the kitchen with a confused look on his face. Shuuichi called out to the pup again and again he took off in search of him.

"Don't tease him, Shuuichi." Kurama said loud enough for him to hear. "Yuusuke."

Yuusuke looked to him. Kurama knelt down and held out a piece of food. Yuusuke happily took it.

"Doesn't he have dog food? Keep giving him table food, and he won't eat his regular food." Shuuichi stated as he walked into the room.

"He didn't come with any. This will have to suffice for now."

"Your friend didn't give you any food for him?"

Kurama shook his head.

"Toys?"

Again, he shook his head.

"A leash? A collar? Anything at all?"

"Iie. Nothing at all."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"He just got him. Yuusuke was a gift for his lover, but, quite unfortunately, they split up the very same day he was purchased."

Shuuichi stared at his brother, slightly shocked at the tale. Yuusuke whimpered, pawing gently at Kurama's hand for more. Kurama smiled at him and shook his head. Yuusuke's ears drooped and again he whimpered. Kurama sighed. Slowly, he stood and washed his hands. Shuuichi sat on the kitchen floor with the whimpering dog, trying to soothe its disappointment and hunger away.

Dinner was finished fast enough. Kurama made up three plates of food and set them all out in the appropriate places.

"Yesss!" Shuuichi exclaimed as he took a seat at the table.

Kurama coaxed Yuusuke over easily. Yuusuke's little muzzle buried itself into the mountain of rice as he happily munched away. Kurama took a seat next to his brother and began to slowly eat his meal. The rice barely touched his lips when a whine caught his attention. He looked down. Two big brown eyes looked up at him with an adorable gleam in them. Kurama's eyebrow rose up as he stared down at the puppy detective. Yuusuke rested his nose on Kurama's foot. Kurama felt himself tense.

"Yuusuke," Kurama called.

Yuusuke looked up hopefully. His tail wagged.

"Didn't you just eat?"

Yuusuke panted happily as he waited. Kurama was talking to him! That must mean he's happy with him! More food for Yuusuke! Yuusuke stood up and propped himself up on his back paws. His front paws rested on Kurama's knee. Shuuichi giggled in the background. Kurama shook his head.

"No, Yuusuke."

Tenderly, he pushed him away. Yuusuke sat down on the floor and looked up at the red-head. His head cocked to the side. Where's the food? Yuusuke was sure that would have worked. Kurama went back to eating. Yuusuke watched him like a hawk. How come he couldn't have any of that? His ears smoothed back on his head. He barked as loud as he could muster. Kurama jumped slightly at the sudden sound. A small piece of fish slipped from his chopsticks and hit the floor. Yuusuke happily engulfed it. Shuuichi laughed. Kurama could only sigh.

It was after dinner and everyone settled into their normal routine. Shuuichi sat in the living room with a game controller in his hands and stared at the colorful screen as he played. His school books were spread out, open, around him. The normally quiet, peaceful aura of the Hatanaka household was destroyed by the loud explosions and excited shouts from the living room. Yuusuke sniffed around the room, completely oblivious to the noise. Kurama straightened up. Wherever Shuuichi walked, he left a trail of disarray and mess in his wake. He bent over to pick up yet another Nerf dart. A tail, sticking straight up in the air, caught his eyes. He dropped everything and rushed toward the squatting pup.

"No! No, no, no!"

Shuuichi jumped at the sound of his stepbrother's yelling. Yuusuke yelped in fear as he was hauled up. His tail curled between his legs. Kurama rushed out the back door with the pup in his hands. As tenderly as he could, he set Yuusuke on the lawn. Yuusuke stood, tense and fearful, there unmoving. Kurama sighed in relief.

"Yuusuke. You might not understand me but-"

Laughter rang from the house. "He tried to go on the carpet!" Shuuichi cried between fits of giggles.

Kurama sighed and massaged his temples. "HOWEVER, you mustn't '_go'_ in the house. Understand?"

The chocolate Labrador had long since toddled off and hadn't heard a word Kurama had said. There were so many smells out here! Yuusuke followed his nose around the yard at least three times before choosing to relief himself and take off into a dead run. Kurama sat down on the concrete porch and watched as Yuusuke burned off his energy. It was hard enough keeping an eye on Yuusuke when he was a human, not to mention keeping him in line, but now. . .

Kurama sighed heavily. He suddenly felt a pang of guilt. He couldn't remember that far back, but he was sure he gave his demonic parents hell. He could only imagine how much worse he was than Yuusuke.

"I must have been terrible."

A series of long, frustrated whines and short yips caught Kurama's attention. His eyes widened in horror.

"No! Yuusuke!"

Dirt and mud were being flung everywhere. Yuusuke's little paws viciously tore at the ground. Wonderfully bright snapdragons took flight. Yellow begonias were literally uprooted. Striped dahlias were flung far from their home. Beautiful Egyptian blue hyacinths turned brown with dirt. Kurama rushed across the lawn and grabbed up the pup. Yuusuke yelped loudly and curled his tail under himself. His belly was cool with earth. His paws and nose were dirty. Kurama licked his teeth before clicking his tongue deliberately.

"Hours of coordination and toiling wasted." Kurama muttered.

Yuusuke whined. His ears pressed themselves to his head. What had he done wrong? There was something under those flowers. He could just _smell_ it. He wanted it, damn it. There was absolutely nothing wrong with that. But. . . Kurama looked so angry. Had he really done something wrong? Maybe he shouldn't have made so much noise. That must be it. Kurama liked the quiet.

Kurama placed the pup on the ground on all fours and fell to his knees in front of the ruin. Thankfully, the roots weren't completely destroyed. Painstakingly, he began to repair the plants and tenderly place them back into the soil. Yuusuke sat behind him, looking for any sign of anger or looming doom coming from his caregiver. His ears were pressed to his head as he belly-crawled forward. Kurama didn't seem to notice the brown ball of fuzz. A small dark nose scooted under the velvety petals of a yellow begonia and pushed it onto the dark pile of earth. the slight movement caught Kurama's eyes.

A long green stem stuck straight up in the air. The begonia's head was pressed into the dirt; It's pretty blonde hair spread out around it. Yuusuke kept pushing the abused body upward, trying desperately to keep the stem up. Kurama tried to stifle a laugh; As a result, an awkward sound made it past his lips. Yuusuke's rusty brown eyes looked to Kurama. He sunk to the ground instantly and looked up at the red-head with fear. Uh oh. He'd done something wrong again.

Kurama reached out. Yuusuke shut his eyes. Suddenly, Yuusuke felt himself being lifted up, and he was pressed to Kurama's chest. Kurama's fingers stroked his head and ears.

"It's beautiful, Yuusuke."

He rose to his feet and looked over the patch of garden. With a sigh, Kurama turned away from it. He would just have to finish it later.

"Shuuichi!" Kurama called. "Would you bring me a towel please?"

"Coming!" Shuuichi shouted back.

Yuusuke's tail wagged. He was just out of reach of Kurama's face. If he could stretch a little bit more, he could reach him. Kurama wasn't mad at him anymore after all, why not show him he was grateful for that? But as he got close, a towel was thrown over his head. Yuusuke violently shook his head to try and get the oppressing cloth off. Kurama wrapped him up tightly in it and began to get as much dirt out of his fur as possible. Yuusuke growled and yipped. Finally, his dark furry head poked out. Kurama chuckled at him.

"I don't know if you're worse now than you were when you were human, Yuusuke."

Tiny teeth sunk into the plush towel. Yuusuke tossed his head, shaking the piece he got a hold of back and forth. Kurama took the opportunity and wiped the damp earth from Yuusuke's paws. Yuusuke didn't notice, thankfully.

"Alright. All better."

He set Yuusuke down gently and attempted to pull away. The pup had different plans. Yuusuke began to back up, tugging roughly on one end of the towel while Kurama still clutched the other. Kurama blinked in surprise and chuckled. Cute growls filled the area. Kurama reached around behind the pup and gently nipped at the back of Yuusuke's legs with his fingers. Yuusuke, startled, let go of the towel and turned to see what had touched him. Kurama folded the towel and opened the sliding glass door.

"Yuusuke," Kurama called.

Yuusuke bounded inside the house, not even remotely caring about his chew toy anymore, and instantly sought out Shuuichi. Kurama soon followed and gently slid the door closed.

* * *

It was late. Everyone had headed to their rooms and retreated to their beds after their nightly rituals. Yuusuke had taken to bunking with Shuuichi. Kurama saw no harm in that. If Yuusuke was dumb enough to start screaming bloody murder upon changing back into a human and waking up next to a prepubescent boy, then Kurama would kill him himself and that would be the end of that. (Though, he would allow himself the amusement of teasing Yuusuke before the deed was done.)

Kurama was resting comfortably in his own room, snug in his bed, and dreaming pleasant dreams of all different sorts. He lay on his stomach, much like a child, and hugged one of the many pillows on his bed. He smiled in his sleep. There was no other comfort like the softness of one's bed. But Kurama's peace was soon to come to an end. A dark bundle of fur had made his way down the hall from Shuuichi's room to Kurama's. He had managed to follow the redhead's scent all the way there all by his little self. Kurama's door was closed. And so he waited there for a moment, hoping Kurama would know he was there and open the door.

Just two minutes passed.

Yuusuke lifted his paw and placed it on the door. His other front paw joined its brother soon after. He stood on his hind legs and looked up at the knob. Why wouldn't it turn? Was Kurama mad again? Yuusuke's ears pressed themselves to his head. He fell back onto his backside and looked down at the crack under the door. He watched as the shadows moved in Kurama's room and suddenly began to whine with earnest. It started as short, pathetic yips, but soon escalated into full baying.

Kurama's eyes snapped open. A wild green darted around his room. At first he was wondering why there was a dog in or around his home, but he quickly remembered the unfortunate occurrence that had befallen his dear friend. The ongoing whining pulled Kurama completely into wakefulness. He rubbed at his eyes, swung his legs over the side of the bed, and started toward the door.

"Alright, I'm coming, Yuusuke," He managed between a yawn.

The door crept open. Yuusuke's tiny muzzle poked through the crack in the door and sniffed. Kurama threw one of his beloved pillows on the floor and attempted to lay back down in bed. A bundle of dark brown fur stopped him. Yuusuke stood on his hind legs again, resting his front paws on Kurama's bed and looking up at the former thief. Kurama stared down at him. Yuusuke's little tail began to wag from the attention Kurama was paying to him. Kurama looked to the pillow then back to Yuusuke and onto his bed. He had plenty of room on his bed, but did he really want Yuusuke up on it with him? What if he turned back and woke up wound in Kurama's sheets as naked as the day he was born with Kurama sleeping peacefully beside him? Kurama's eye twitched at the thought. He didn't want to hear that long rant.

Yuusuke's pitiful whines caught Kurama's attention again. Somehow, Yuusuke managed to pull the front half of his body onto the high ledge of Kurama's comfortable cradle. Kurama sighed. There was no negotiations with Yuusuke when he had his mind set on something. Kurama helped the pup onto the bed and retrieved the pillow he had laid on the floor for him. At the end of the bed, he set the pillow down and made Yuusuke lay on his back on it. Yuusuke licked and lapped at his palms and fingers. Kurama made sure the pooch wouldn't move before laying back down on his stomach and getting comfortable once again.

"Oyasumi, Yuusuke."

Kurama slowly shut his eyes. A contented sigh escaped him. But the coziness was short-lived. A small body forced its way under Kurama's, making Kurama snap out of his settling sleep and look down in a panic. Yuusuke had literally wormed his way under Kurama and now rested with his muzzle on Kurama's arm and most of his body under the redhead's chin. Kurama rose up on his elbows and looked over the forceful puppy. Yuusuke had already fallen asleep.

Kurama sighed in exasperation and glared down at Yuusuke. How DARE he interrupt his sleep this much? Yuusuke _knew_ better. Being turned into a stupid animal was NO EXCUSE. Granted, Kurama was starting to believe that he was a stupid animal before he was turned into a puppy at this point, and this was only confirming the thought. Kurama violently turned over in his bed, jolting the poor puppy awake with a yelp, and got comfortable on the other half.

Yuusuke stared at the fox-demon with confusion. His ears perked up. His head cocked to the side. Didn't Kurama want to cuddle with him? Yuusuke inched closer to Kurama and climbed on top of the demon. Kurama tensed terribly as Yuusuke settled on his back. A low growl wafted in the silent air in warning. Kurama refused to play this game all night. He suddenly sat up, making Yuusuke roll off him, and picked the puppy up under the front legs. He brought Yuusuke close to his face and sighed.

"I opened my bed to you, but that does not mean I opened myself up as a bed. You may stay up here, but you may not lay on me, under me, on my head, on my legs, anywhere on me at all, Yuusuke. I like my sleep," Kurama explained carefully and yawned. "And I'd really like to get back to doing just that." He set Yuusuke down by his feet. "Stay. You can rest here."

Yuusuke seemed to nod. Kurama finally got comfortable amongst his sheets and pillows. His eyes shut. A sigh escaped him. He was quickly falling into bliss.

Yuusuke sat there for a long moment, just watching his friend sleep. He wanted to whine, but he didn't. He wanted to crawl on top of the redhead and fall asleep, but he didn't. He wanted to force his way under Kurama's hands and make him pet him, but he didn't. A puppy yawn interrupted the silence. Kurama took no note of it that Yuusuke could see. Yuusuke laid down on the bed and continued to stare. Slowly, he inched closer to the warmth Kurama provided until he was right up against him. Again, Kurama took no note of it. Yuusuke placed his nose on Kurama's elbow. Still, Kurama took no note of it. Yuusuke's eyes closed. His breathing fanned out. He found his comfortable sleep as well.

* * *

Morning had come all too soon. He was comfortable. Didn't the sun understand that? Kurama pulled the blankets over his head. At least he could block out some of the light by doing so.

Wait. Where was Yuusuke?

Kurama half-expected there to be some resistance when pulling up his covers, but was surprised to find none. There was no whine, no grunt, no growl, no yip, no anything associated with the pup. What was even worse was the fact that it was entirely too quiet in his house. Though he would normally welcome the silence, quiet and Yuusuke simply do not mix well. He sat up in bed, forgetting his fatigue for just a moment, and scanned his room. His door was open. That was new. Other than that, everything seemed to be in the right place.

He threw the blankets off of him, still wondering why he didn't hear anything. He glanced at his clock offhandedly and had to take a double take.

_11:30? _

Had Yuusuke stressed him so much to make him sleep through his own alarm? Kurama wiped at his face and shook his head lightly. His senses suddenly sharpened. The silence hit him hard. If Yuusuke wasn't in his bed sleeping, then where was he and why was he so _quiet_? Kurama may have had limited experience with puppies, but they were no different than human children. Quiet was not good. Definitely no bueno.

Kurama forced himself out of his bed and padded across the room. His too-big pajama pants threatened to slip off his narrow hips at any moment. He grabbed a not-so-clean shirt from the laundry hamper near the door and threw it on, grimacing at the fact that wrinkles marred the normally starched and pressed piece of clothing. Cautiously, he poked his head out into the hallway and looked it up and down. It was completely clear, nothing out of place from what he could see. Shuuichi's door was open, but that only meant that he was up and about. Kurama's tension rose.

He walked out of his room and down the short flight of stairs. The sight shocked him: papers askew, dishes - both clean and dirty - out of place all around the house, bits of food here and there, toys thrown about, everything was utter chaos. The beauty and serenity and cleanliness Kurama strove to achieve was DESTROYED all by a little boy and a dog! Kurama's fingers flexed with tension. He began to quickly rush through the rooms, looking for the source of the absolute chaos, and he found it outside, running a muck in the backyard. Kurama ground his teeth in irritation and watched as the muddy preteen boy and a _very_ muddy dog ran about, tearing up his hard work.

"Ohayou gouzaimasu, Shuuichi." Kurama said through gritted teeth.

Shuuichi came to a screeching halt in front of his stepbrother. Kurama folded his arms and cocked a fine, red eyebrow up on his forehead. Shuuichi smiled. Yuusuke kept running around the yard at breakneck speeds. Shuuichi wasn't used to _that_ look from Kurama, the one Kurama only gave to people he disliked or to his odd friends when they came over unexpectedly or said something wrong. A nervous smile bloomed on Shuuichi's face. He was in for it now; he just knew it. Shuuichi didn't dare look away from those sharp emerald eyes, but his chin dipped down toward his chest.

"H-Hey Shuu-nii. Sleep well?" Shuuichi asked fretfully.

"You're a mess," Kurama stated quite calmly. "The house is a mess. You're going to clean it up."

"Uhh, sure!" Shuuichi stammered. "But, umm, what do you want me to do with Yuusuke? He's dirty too."

"I'll take care of him. Just do the dishes first so I can use the sink to bathe him," Kurama paused to watch Yuusuke dart across the yard. "Go on then. Hurry up."

Shuuichi ran inside, slipping off his shoes and getting to work. Kurama slowly stepped off the patio onto the nippy grass. The blades poked through the slits between his toes, tickling and cooling his feet down to their core. He sighed in contentment. It'd been a while since he could touch the earth so intimately. Even in his days as the demon thief Youko, he rarely got to feel about with such nakedness, and the Living World's grass was so wholly different than the blades in Makai that Kurama would have stripped down and laid on it if he felt he could get away with such an act. He felt his anger slowly melting away through the soles of his feet. He couldn't stay mad at his brother, not under these conditions. The house would be cleaned. Everything would be put away in due time.

A yip and cool wetness on the tops of his feet caught his attention. Kurama instantly looked down and saw a dirty Yuusuke standing on his feet and wagging his tail. Kurama knelt down and wiped a hand over Yuusuke's face, removing most of the thick mud from him.

"You are filthy, my friend," Kurama chuckled as he continued to wipe mud off Yuusuke's coat.

Picking him up, Kurama went into the house and straight into the kitchen. Thankfully, Shuuichi had just finished up rinsing the dishes and putting them into the washer and had moved on to another task. Looking at the mess now, it could have been much worse. Kurama set Yuusuke in the sink, earning a weird look from the pup, and began to run the water. Yuusuke began to growl at the stream. Making weird noises and spitting out water, what the hell is its problem? Yuusuke barked at the faucet and didn't notice Kurama pull the faucet hose up until he finally sprayed him. Yuusuke jumped horribly in surprise and instantly tried to get away. Kurama wouldn't have it and doused Yuusuke from head to toe, desperately trying to get the grime he had collected on him off. Using only dish soap, he began to scrub the puppy's coat. Yuusuke whined and bayed and barked and whimpered. Kurama was sure the neighbors down the street could hear Yuusuke pitching such a fit.

"Oh, hush. There's no need for all that noise, Yuusuke."

Yuusuke only whined louder.

"Shuuichi! Shuuichi!" A woman's voice called distantly followed by the sound of a door opening. "We're home!"

"Ah! Shiori-san! Otou-san!" Shuuichi called from the living room.

Kurama hardly paid attention, finished rinsing the soap from Yuusuke's coat, and dried the pup off as best he could. Lifting Yuusuke out of the sink, Kurama wrapped a dish towel around him. Yuusuke shivered in anticipation. Put me down damn it, Yuusuke thought to himself. I need to shake!

"A puppy?" Hatanaka-san's voice wafted into the kitchen.

"Yeah! A brown lab! His name's Yuusuke!"

Shiori giggled. "Shuuichi named him after one of his friends? How odd! They must be having a fight. Poor dear. Where is he anyway?"

"In the kitchen!" Shuuichi answered.

Kurama continued to dry Yuusuke. If he was going to shake, then at least there wouldn't be much to shake off. Shiori entered the kitchen and gasped at the sight. Kurama turned, thinking something was wrong, only to have his mother rush to him and take the still damp Yuusuke from his arms.

"Oh my goodness! Aren't you just adorable!"

Yuusuke's tail wagged a mile a minute as he lapped at Shiori's face, completely forgetting for a moment that he was still wet and in need of a good shake. Kurama stood tense and watched the scene unfold. If Yuusuke was going to change back into his human form today, please, _please_ do not let it be right now.

"Oh, Shuuichi," Shiori giggled. "He's wonderful. How old is he?"

"Twelve weeks," Kurama replied.

"Well, you're still just a baby!" Shiori cooed to Yuusuke, who responded with a happy yip. She ran her hand down the length of Yuusuke's body, who, in turn, buried his head under her chin in appreciation. Shiori smiled, "What's going on between you and Yuusuke?"

Kurama stared at her for a long moment, trying to decipher her meaning. It took him only a moment to realize what she was getting at.

"We're not arguing or anything of the sort," He answered with a smile.

Shiori hummed in the back of her throat before setting Yuusuke down. He immediately shook and took off running. "Now you know you can't hide everything from your mother, Shuuichi, but I'm willing to wait for you to come to me. I won't pry," She smiled. "How is he by the way?"

"Oh, Yuusuke? He's well," Kurama watched as Yuusuke darted back and forth from the front door to the kitchen door and then around the couch. "Energetic as always. Getting into trouble, and the like."

Shiori giggled again. "That's good to hear. I wish he would come over more often," Oh, Mother, he's already over. He'll be sick of us by the end of this ordeal, Kurama thought. "Maybe we can invite him over for dinner sometime soon."

Kurama smiled his best. "Maybe."

"Well!" Shiori clapped her hands. "Since he doesn't have anything appropriate, why don't we go out and get the little guy some things, hm? He'll need a collar, some tags, dog food of course, bowls, oh! and a few toys! Maybe we can even get a bed for him!"

"All of that really isn't necessary mother. He won't be staying long. I'm simply watching him for a friend."

"Then why have you been the one to name him?"

"I never said such a thing, but yes, I did name him, and no, I'm not his owner. He will be returned in due time. I'm just babysitting."

Shiori looked her son over for any signs of a lie. Her eyes narrowed dangerously as her eyebrow rose up on her head. Kurama simply smiled again and walked past her to find Yuusuke. He hardly had any idea how his stepfather would react to the dog and with Shuuichi cleaning up his mess, Yuusuke was unattended. He didn't have to move from the kitchen's doorway to find him. Just as he stepped out, the doorbell rang, and Yuusuke came flying through the living room, howling, barking, and carrying on at the door. Kurama shook his head and answered it. Kuwabara stood there, nearly filling out the entire doorframe.

"Hey Kura-errr I mean, Shuuichi! How's Yuusuke doing?"

Yuusuke barked again and growled around Kuwabara's feet, sniffing and tugging at Kuwabara's sock. Kuwabara just smiled and picked the little dog up. Yuusuke hardly minded and sniffed at him more. Satisfied, he lapped at Kuwabara's chin and cheeks. Kurama had to cover his mouth. Oh, if only Yuusuke could see himself, he thought amused, I wish I had a camera. What was more amusing still was Kuwabara's willingness. He was as much a puppy lover as he was a kitten lover.

"I brought him some things. I didn't know if you got him stuff so I decided it couldn't hurt," Kuwabara set Yuusuke down and briefly rummaged through the messenger bag on his hip, pulling out a few things. Kneeling, he snapped a green collar around Yuusuke's neck. A shining tag gleamed with his name etched into its silver surface. Yuusuke shook to get the oppressing collar off, and when that failed, he took to scratching and growling.

"I believe you just took all the fun out of my mother's afternoon. She was looking forward to puppy-shopping today."

"Uhh, sorry?"

"Where are your manners, Shuuichi?" Shiori called. "Kuwabara dear, why don't you come in? You don't have to stand in the doorway! Oh! Lookit how handsome you are now, Yuusuke. Kuwabara get you some clothes?"

Petting and cooing at the pup, Shiori continued her baby-talk. Kuwabara's face twisted into a look caught between disgust and pity. Kurama folded his arms and shook his head.

"You have no room to talk, my friend," Kurama chuckled. "Mother, we're going to take Yuusuke outside to burn off some energy."

Kurama led Kuwabara out the back and whistled for the brown lab. It didn't take anymore coaxing than that before Yuusuke was out the door. Sliding the door closed, Kurama took a seat next to the tallest member of Team Urameshi, waiting for him to start talking first.

"So it's safe to say you didn't figure out a way to change him back."

"Can't say that I tried either. It would be a wasted effort. KoEnma said it's akin to a possession. The only possible way we could attempt to right him would be an exorcism; however, a demon performing such a ritual would be a little counterproductive, don't you think?"

"I guess so," Kuwabara said after a few short moment of watching Yuusuke dart about. "I think we should keep him like this."

The statement alone was almost enough to make Kurama choke on his own breath. His sharp green gaze looked over at the human psychic, finding a look of mock-seriousness and contemplation. Kurama folded his arms and leaned back against the patio wall.

"And why would you think that?"

"Well, he's a lot cuter like this, don't ya think?"

Kurama could have fallen over, but kept his composure as best he could. This was exactly like the Hiei incident in the House of Three Dimensions. 'It's his own code!' Kuwabara had argued. Normally, Kuwabara was hardly the type to let sleeping dogs lie, especially when the situation involved his comrades, so his commentary left Kurama momentarily confused and slightly dispirited. Kurama, however, wouldn't welter in the foreign feelings for very long and shook his head upon realizing his friend's lack of sincerity and his own foolishness in delving too deeply into his own worries.

"I hardly think Yuusuke would appreciate you saying that, Kuwabara."

"Well, it's the truth! Urameshi would never be this friendly or lovable or downright cute otherwise! I mean look at him!" Kuwabara pointed to the pooch chasing butterflies and pouncing on grasshoppers. "It's hard to believe he was a bad-mouthed, pain-in-the-ass, brainless, obnoxious punk just a day and a half ago!"

"Let's hope Yuusuke doesn't remember anything you just said when he changes back," Kurama chuckled.

"If he changes back," Kuwabara muttered in return.

Kurama sighed and let his arms drop to his sides. "Surely you're not serious about what you said. If your positions were reversed, Yuusuke would be striving to change you back. Maybe not immediately because he would find the situation too hilarious to stand," Kuwabara shot Kurama a pointed look, which Kurama promptly ignored. "But he would help you, Kuwabara. And besides," Kurama took a pause and watched Yuusuke crouch into the grass, getting ready to jump on his unsuspecting butterfly prey. "I prefer the old Yuusuke, vices and all. Adorability and friendliness aren't attributes that he's lacking in either form. As a pup, the characteristics are just more easily expressed. At least, that's how I feel."

Kuwabara made a face at Kurama, "Do you really mean that or are you just saying that so you don't get your ass handed to you when he changes back?"

Kurama could have shot a smart comment Kuwabara's way, but instead a wholehearted laugh escaped his throat. "Both," He smiled, green eyes glinting in the light. "Maybe. All I can hope for at this point is that he at least thanks me before he does anything and that he doesn't kill you for your previous commentary. But in all seriousness, I couldn't care less what Yuusuke does after he's back to normal, so long as he is just that, back to normal."

Kuwabara followed Kurama's line of vision and landed on the brown ball of fur still tirelessly chasing the helpless butterfly fluttering just out of reach. "Yeah, I guess."

* * *

- Hatanaka - Kurama's stepfather's surname. I'm pretty sure this is accurate.

- For all of you that have only seen the anime, Kurama's stepbrother's name is actually Shuuichi. I promise you, I'll keep the confusion to a minimum. I'll refer to Shuuichi Minamino as Kurama throughout the duration of this fic.

- Tadaima - translates to - I'm home!

- Okaeri nasai - translates to - Welcome home.

- koinu - translates to - puppy

- Oyasumi - translates to - Goodnight/Sweet dream 


	3. Always, Always, Always in Trouble

**Author's Note:** Unedited. Enjoy as is.  
**Warnings: **Yaoi/shounen-ai/boyxboy, Kurama-x-Yuusuke, language, lime?  
**Summary: **While out on a mission, Urameshi Yuusuke is struck with a curse - that transforms him into a puppy! No one knows how long he'll be stuck in this form, not even KoEnma himself. Who will take care of the Reikai Tantei in his time of need?  
**Disclaimer: **Yuu Yuu Hakusho and all its characters belong to Yoshihiro Togashi. The plot was derived from a Sasunaru doujinshi. I unfortunately do not know the name and author but all the credit belongs to them.

**HENKEI  
MINAMINO "KURAMA" SHUUICHI AND URAMESHI YUUSUKE  
PART 3**

* * *

Three weeks. Kurama couldn't help but dwell on the twenty-one days that Yuusuke had been a puppy. He didn't want to believe it. However, the proof was right there in front of him, sleeping at the end of his bed after a hard day of chasing yet another squirrel out of his backyard. It was a wonder that Atsuko and Keiko hadn't called looking for him, and Kurama had to question just what story Kuwabara had told Keiko to keep her so pacified.

_If he told her a story at all_, Kurama thought. Keiko was involved in Yuusuke's life wholly, but ever since she finished high school and went off to college, that involvement waned. Still, Kurama found it hard to believe that she would be so reluctant to see him (even if she was allergic to dogs as Kuwabara had told him). Kuwabara must have lied to her, told her that he went back off to Makai for urgent business or something.

Of course, Kurama was letting his mind wander to all these insignificant things to distract himself. He was terribly worried, so worried that the ball of emotion in his chest swelled every time he glanced at the chocolate lab. He wanted to pick him up and shake him, anything to change Yuusuke back. Kurama hadn't felt this defeated in a while, this miserable and downtrodden.

A slender hand went out and gently scratched the pup behind his ears. Yuusuke instantly opened an eye and arched into the touch. A wide yawn exposed the perfectly white teeth in Yuusuke's mouth. Ears perking up, Yuusuke sat up completely. He could tell something was wrong. Kurama's smell had changed, but why? Yuusuke wagged his tail and gave a puppy smile as Kurama stared at him. Surely this would help Kurama feel a little better. Who didn't like cute?

But Kurama's smell changed even more. It made Yuusuke's ears droop and tail fall heavily onto the bed. Just what was wrong with Kurama? Yuusuke inched over to the redhead and placed his muzzle onto his knee. The smell was worse up close, but Yuusuke wasn't picky right now. He had to make Kurama better.

"Shuu-nii! Shuu-nii!" Shuuichi called as he rushed into the room. "Let's take Yuusuke to the dog park!"

"Shuuichi, I don't think that's the best idea. He's gotten plenty of exercise today. Maybe some other time."

"Aww, come on! That's what you said last time! He'll have lots of fun! Think of all the friends he'll make!" Shuuichi stomped his foot purposefully. "I heard that within the first eighteen months, you need to socialize a dog well or they'll become mean. I don't want Yuusuke to be mean!"

That's just in his general nature, Kurama thought darkly. "Alright, but only for a little while. We cannot be there all day, Shuuichi."

"Yes!" Shuuichi exclaimed, jumping a little. "I'll go find his leash!"

Kurama watched as Shuuichi excitedly ran down the hall and stairs, and shaking his head, reached out to scratch Yuusuke's ears again. "Are you really up for making doggy-friends, Yuusuke?"

Yuusuke only yawned and moved closer to him, resting his muzzle on Kurama's knee and wagging his tail lazily. The moment Shuuichi returned with his leash, all sleepiness disappeared. Yuusuke hopped off the bed as if he had never been drowsy and bounded, barking and yipping, over to the teen. It took quite a bit of maneuvering, but Shuuichi finally managed to hook Yuusuke.

Holding onto him was another matter entirely. The leash was jerked out of his hands as Yuusuke took off in a dead run to the front door. Kurama cocked and eyebrow at Shuuichi, to which Shuuichi stuck out his tongue.

"It won't happen again," Shuuichi said.

Kurama hummed in disbelief and went after Yuusuke with Shuuichi.

It wasn't long until they came to the park and immediately, they were assaulted by barks, growls, laughing, shouting, and the general mayhem of having people and dogs in one area. Yuusuke had unfortunately added to the chaos. Tail wagging and voice straining, Yuusuke tugged on his leash with all his might to get to the group of dogs not too far away.

"Big ferocious beast, isn't he?" Shuuichi giggled as he struggled to hold onto Yuusuke.

"That's why we keep him around," Kurama chuckled back.

Shuuichi allowed Yuusuke to pull him every which way while Kurama took a seat nearby and watched them with extreme concentration. It was a terrible risk to allow this. With so many people around, the consequences would be many and terrible should Yuusuke transform back.

If he transformed back, Kurama thought grimly.

His mood darkened considerably at the thought. It hurt his heart to think that Yuusuke's human life would be cut so tragically short by something so outrageous and unfortunate. It just wasn't fair. Why did Yuusuke have to suffer the most ridiculous things?

Better yet, why did Yuusuke allow these ridiculous things to happen? Most of the events up until now had been entirely Yuusuke's fault. Jumping in front of the car caused him to die. Being a smartass got him in trouble with Hiei the first time around. Being a bigger, cheekier smartass caught Toguro's attention. And Sensui.

Well, that was unavoidable and a tragedy. Being involved with that was just part of the Spirit Detective gig. The slow build-up of Sensui's insanity had not, in any way, been Yuusuke's fault. Could it have been avoided? Maybe. Fact was, it hadn't been, and Yuusuke lost his life again. That was entirely Yuusuke's fault, and Kurama could still feel the anger he'd kept down start to burn at the mere thought of it.

"Minamino-kun?"

Kurama looked up instantly and met the gaze of two former classmates. Both girls smiled brightly at him and giggled. He tried to return the smile.

"Good afternoon. It's been a while hasn't it?"

"Yes, it has!" One giddily replied.

"Out of all the people we expected to run into, we didn't think we'd see you here, Shuuichi-kun!" said the other.

"Do you have a dog?"

"Where is he?"

"Or she?"

"Who are these two, Shuu-nii?"

Shuuichi had rejoined them, pulling the reluctant Yuusuke along. Instantly, the girls erupted into a fit of gasps and aww's. They fell to their knees to fawn and coo over Yuusuke, to which Yuusuke immediately reacted. He cuddled up to them, wagging his tail, rubbing his body against theirs, and licking their chins and cheeks. Kurama shook his head. Yuusuke was a ham, not a puppy.

"He's so cute!"

"You've got the cutest ears, little baby!"

"You've got the cutest everything!"

Shuuichi cocked an eyebrow and watched the scene unfold. Kurama saw the gears turning in his stepbrother's head and gave him a warning look. Whatever Shuuichi was planning, involving Yuusuke was not going to be tolerated at all. Shuuichi pouted and folded his arms in a huff at Kurama's silent threat.

"Oh, Minamino-kun, he's just darling!" One girl exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around Yuusuke tight.

Yuusuke loved the attention. He buried his head under chins and spinning in circles to get to both of them, all the while giving kisses and yipping happily. Shuuichi pouted more. That wasn't fair. Kurama could use Yuusuke to get girls, but he can't? What the hell? Granted, Yuusuke was Kurama's dog, and Shuuichi was being a little unreasonable, but it still wasn't fair! He'd have to talk to his father about getting his own puppy soon.

"Yuusuke, huh? What an adorable name."

"So unique."

"Count on Minamino-kun to think of something so dashing."

Shuuichi mimicked the two girls behind their backs, mouthing their words and moving his hands to mock them. Kurama gave him a dangerous glare, and Shuuichi crossed his arms again in anger. This was turning out to be a lot less fun than he expected. Shuuichi was supposed to be getting girls' attentions. Like Himura Kasumi. She was wondering around the park with her new Papillon somewhere. Shuuichi knew he could hit two birds with one stone if he could just hunt her down; Just think, he and Yuusuke would both get girlfriends!

Ah, Himura Kasumi, Shuuichi thought with joy, she was perfect. Beautiful didn't even begin to describe her. With hair the color of wheat and eyes as green as clover, she stuck out like a rose among weeds. Not only that, but she smelt like a honeydew melon and was the sweetest girl Shuuichi had ever met. She smiled and laughed all the time, and was smart, and helped more than she should and so many other things. Shuuichi KNEW he would have a chance if he just had an excuse to talk to her.

But now, he was regretting walking back over to his brother with Yuusuke. It didn't seem like he would ever be able to walk away and _accidently_ run into her. Shuuichi pouted. Kasumi-chan would most certainly be long gone by the time Shuuichi could pull away. Thankfully, one of the girls stood and brushed the invisible dirt from herself.

"Well, it was certainly nice seeing you, Minamino-kun, but Aimi and I really must be going. We'll miss our movie otherwise."

"Oh, Minamino-kun would you like to go with us?" Aimi exclaimed as she hopped up.

Both waited, slowly leaning forward more and more as they did. Shuuichi watched them and shook his head. Kurama had turned down every single girl that has ever asked him out. What made these two bimbos think he would break his track record now?

Smiling, Kurama shook his head, "I'm terribly sorry, ladies, but I must decline. As exciting as a movie is, I unfortunately cannot leave Yuusuke by himself. He's terribly attached to me, and I wouldn't want to upset him."

"Oh, we understand," the nameless girl said with genuine empathy.

"That's so cute," Aimi giggled. "Well, see you around then. You know where to find us if you want to do something later!"

With that, they finally left, but Shuuichi hardly noticed. The moment Kurama had refused them, Kasumi began to walk down the sidewalk toward the fountain, and Shuuichi hadn't been able to take his eyes off her. He heard Kurama calling for him, but couldn't find it in him to look at his brother. Instead, he began to walk, pulling Yuusuke with him.

"I wanna take Yuusuke to see the fountain!" Was all he said as he abandoned walking and began sprinting after her.

Yuusuke bounded happily alongside Shuuichi, not even noticing other dogs and humans around them and just enjoying the thrill of running. Shuuichi, at the last possible moment, stopped dead in his tracks, causing Yuusuke to collide into the back of his legs and nearly pitching them both forward. Yuusuke yelped in surprise, and Shuuichi scowled.

"Yuusuke, watch where you're going!"

Smoothing down his shirt and ignoring the look Yuusuke seemed to give him, Shuuichi finger-combed his hair back and held up his chin as he walked at a leisurely pace around the fountain. Kasumi sat smiling on the ledge and played with her puppy. The pup was on its back legs and delicately turning to follow Kasumi's finger. She laughed lightly as it completed yet another turn and earned a treat.

"You're such a good girl, Chou," She turned her head at the slight movement out of the corner of her eye and smiled. "Oh! Shuuichi-kun!"

Shuuichi feinted surprise and turned, "Ah! Kasumi-chan! I almost didn't see you there!"

"It's so good to see you," She said, rising to her feet and walking over. "What brings you here?"

"Oh, you know, just taking my dog for a nice, long walk."

Kasumi looked down and saw Yuusuke digging his nose into the cracks between the stones. With another laugh, she knelt down and scratched behind his ears. He instantly looked up. Who the hell was this person? Sniffing her hand, he decided he didn't care and tried to attack her face. Chou rushed forward, yipping, growling, and barking, and startled Yuusuke back.

Yuusuke had seen other dogs up until now, but certainly none as energetic as this little puffball. He backed up and hid behind Shuuichi's legs to keep a safe distance. This dog was friggen nuts! He hadn't even done anything wrong, and it was barking at him! Yuusuke whined lowly in his throat and cocked his head to the side. Just what the fuck was he supposed to do with that rat? Looking at it more closely, Yuusuke decided it couldn't possibly be a dog.

"No, no, Chou!" Kasumi said, picking up the Papillon. "I'm sorry. She has a jealous streak, but she means no real harm, really."

"No problem! Yuusuke's a big wimp anyway!"

Yuusuke snorted and glared up at Shuuichi. Wimp? He's the wimp, that brat! Who the hell uses their dog as an excuse to run into a girl anyway? Be a friggen man and go talk to her, you dickweed!

Yuusuke pulled himself away from Shuuichi as far as his leash would let him and stared off into the distance. Shuuichi and Kasumi continued to chat and soon, they forgot he was there entirely. All it took was the slightest movement and the twitch of a puffy tail for Yuusuke to be alert. There were squirrels here too? Yuusuke tried to bark, but it only came out as a noisy puff of air. He was far too concentrated on watching the squirrel dart about and grab food.

The small rodent suddenly stood and saw Yuusuke staring at it intently. It ran, and Yuusuke followed. His leash was jerked out of Shuuichi's hands, and his feet couldn't propel him fast enough forward.

"Yuusuke!" Shuuichi shouted as he chased after the pup.

Kurama sprang to his feet and saw a brown blur heading toward the line of trees. Rushing forward, it only took him a few seconds to pass Shuuichi and bound after Yuusuke. Unfortunately, Yuusuke had too much of a lead on him and disappeared into the brush.

"Yuusuke!" Kurama called as he followed. "Yuusuke, get back here!"

Kurama was vaguely aware that Shuuichi had followed him. He could hear the faint rustling from behind. All he could concentrate on was finding Yuusuke. He should have been more adamant about not going out! He knew something like this would happen! Yuusuke never stayed out of trouble. What made him think it would be safe to venture out now, especially with Yuusuke being in the state that he was in?

While mentally kicking himself, Kurama was nearly pitched forward by a low-lying root catching him about his ankles. He stopped and looked around. There was nothing but silence. Shuuichi couldn't be heard from behind, and Yuusuke couldn't be heard at all. Kurama's heart dropped into his stomach. Without spirit energy, he couldn't locate his friend, and it would be much too risky to use his plants here. In his current emotional state, Kurama didn't trust himself to summon up anything more than a rose whip, and that certainly wouldn't help here.

"Yuusuke!" Kurama shouted, his voice carrying and bouncing off the trunks of trees.

Shuuichi's nearing footsteps didn't make Kurama turn, "Did you find him?" Shuuichi panted.

Kurama shook his head and began to push forward again. Shuuichi followed and called out Yuusuke's name. How long they actually searched, Kurama couldn't say, but it was long enough to have the prepubescent boy near him stop every few minutes to rest.

"I'm sorry, Shuu-nii," Shuuichi puffed. "I didn't mean to lose him."

Kurama shook his head. He didn't blame Shuuichi. How could he? It wasn't his fault that Yuusuke was so damn ignorant, nor was it his fault that Kurama's will was weak. The only thing Shuuichi could be blamed for was the idea, but that wasn't a crime in Kurama's book.

"Go home, Shuuichi," Kurama finally said. "I'll stay and look for him."

"But," Shuuichi tried.

"No buts. Go home. I'll catch up with you later. Tell Kaa-san and Kazuya-san where I am and what I'm doing. They'll understand."

"I'm not leaving you here to search by yourself!" Shuuichi stomped his foot. "It was my fault Yuusuke got away! I wanted to go to the stupid park!"

"_Stupid_ park?" Kurama asked.

"I only wanted to come here so I could run into Kasumi!"

Kurama sighed and shook his head. He had known his brother's intentions, but again, he couldn't continue to say no. He didn't approve, but Shuuichi deserved an equal chance as anyone to learn how easy it really was to get a girl's attention. He should have never let him go through with his ridiculously convoluted plan; Instead, he should have coached and sent the boy on his way.

But, no. He had to see how it played out. He just had to treat Yuusuke like a dog and not his friend for one day, and now, he's lost him.

"Alright," Kurama said, half-heartedly. "Let's keep looking."

Darkness fell all too soon, and Kurama and Shuuichi had to call off their search, much to Kurama's dismay.

* * *

Damn that squirrel! Damn it, damn it, damn it!

It should know better than to run up a tree! Honestly, didn't it know that Yuusuke couldn't climb? What fun was tag if the person who was 'it' couldn't get to the person who was 'not it'?

No fun at all, that's what.

Yuusuke pushed away from the tree and looked around. Well, this certainly was not the park, but it was still pretty neat. Sniffing, Yuusuke's nose was instantly tickled by all the smells perfuming the area. Other animals had been through here! All sorts of them! Wagging his tail and ignoring the cries coming from behind him, Yuusuke bounded off after the scent that was too inviting to stand.

It definitely wasn't a squirrel whatever he was following. It stayed on the ground for too long.

Maybe it was a rabbit, or a cat, or another dog!

He waddled after all the different scents. Once or twice, he found himself stuck in holes and scratched by bushes, but he wasn't to be deterred. There was something wonderful at the end of this scent trail, and he was determined to find it.

He didn't have to go much farther. A black nose bumped into his and made him look up. A tanuki looked him dead in the face. Well, this certainly wasn't a dog, though it kinda looked like one, nor was it a rabbit or a cat. Yuusuke cocked his head to the side. The tanuki mimicked the movement. Yuusuke wagged his tail, and the tanuki swished his. Yuusuke barked, and the tanuki yipped.

Well, wasn't this the coolest thing he's ever run into?

Whining excitedly, Yuusuke bumped his nose into the tanuki's neck and ran. The tanuki stayed behind. Yuusuke doubled back upon realizing he wasn't being chased and looked questioningly at the raccoon-dog. Didn't it know how to play? Yuusuke bumped it again and waited. The tanuki simply cocked its head. Barking in frustration, Yuusuke bumped him again, only to get a thwack on the head.

This wasn't how you played tag, damn it!

Another thwack had Yuusuke yelping and backing away. The tanuki made a sound before standing on its hind legs and wrapping its stubby arms around Yuusuke's neck. Yuusuke pulled away instantly. Who the hell was this thing, and why did it hug him? Yuusuke was growing more and more concerned. Yuusuke turned and ran. This time, the tanuki followed.

Yuusuke didn't stop to look behind him. It was a stupid idea to try to play with it! Now he was going to get it. He darted deeper and deeper into the woods, hoping that soon he would run out into the dog park and to Shuuichi or Kurama. The comforting thought made him run faster. Kurama would be able to save him. Kurama _always_ could save him!

But the park never appeared. With his tail between his legs, Yuusuke continued to run, only to collapse in a fit of exhaustion. The tanuki seemed to have given up on its chase, but that gave Yuusuke no comfort. He had no idea where he was, and it was getting dark. Tired and hungry, Yuusuke couldn't find the strength to get up. He remembered a saying: when you're lost, stay put. It might be a little late, but better late than never right? All he would have to do was stay right here, and Kurama would surely find him. Kurama was amazing like that.

The pup shut his eyes and started to whine lowly. He didn't like being alone. He didn't like being in this place. He was stupid for running off. If Kurama ever found him, he would never leave his side again.

The snapping of a twig made Yuusuke stand up in an instant. He stood alert and ready. Another crack resounded, and Yuusuke barked. If it was that damn tanuki, he would give him a piece of his mind this time, damn it!

But what he saw was too big to be a tanuki and too small to be Kurama. A dark figure loomed in the shadows of the trees, casting a dangerous aura out. Yuusuke's ears flattened against his head. This was much worse than the raccoon-dog from earlier. Yuusuke backed up, not daring to turn away from this silhouette. To do so would be certain death, Yuusuke knew. He showed his teeth as he continued to back away. No one forces Yuusuke into a corner, he thought. You better back down now or I'm going to hurt you!

The figure moved toward him silently, and before Yuusuke could react, he was snatched up.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I really hope you enjoyed. I'm sorry if the Tanuki scene seemed a little farfetched. The only real reason I used a raccoon-dog is because in the YuYu Hakusho manga, Yuusuke helps a tanuki. I simply wanted him to make an appearance. Again, I hope you enjoyed.


	4. What If

**Author's Note:** Unedited. Enjoy as is.  
**Warnings: **Yaoi/shounen-ai/boyxboy, Kurama-x-Yuusuke, language, lime?  
**Summary: **While out on a mission, Urameshi Yuusuke is struck with a curse - that transforms him into a puppy! No one knows how long he'll be stuck in this form, not even KoEnma himself. Who will take care of the Reikai Tantei in his time of need?  
**Disclaimer: **Yuu Yuu Hakusho and all its characters belong to Yoshihiro Togashi. The plot was derived from a Sasunaru doujinshi. I unfortunately do not know the name and author but all the credit belongs to them.

**HENKEI!  
MINAMINO "KURAMA" SHUUICHI AND URAMESHI YUUSUKE  
PART 4**

* * *

Kurama didn't sleep that night. He lay in bed, staring at his wall and being painfully aware of the lack of a warm body under his arm. He didn't think he would ever miss his neck becoming sweaty from hot puppy breath, and yet here he was, wishing Yuusuke was there to tuck his furry face under his chin and sleep beside him.

His heart ached. Had their roles been reversed, Yuusuke would have found him in a heartbeat and played it off as if nothing had ever happened. And here Kurama was, lying in his bed staring at his wall while Yuusuke got more lost by the moment.

A thought hit him then. What if Yuusuke found his way back to the park? He wouldn't find Kurama or Shuuichi there waiting. The ache in his heart grew worse. The thought of Yuusuke so heartbroken by abandonment was almost too much to bear. Kurama flung back the blankets and sprang out of bed, intent on scouring the woods one more time.

Yuusuke, however, was not as hard-pressed to get himself home. He was having much too much fun. He had found himself not only chased by a tanuki, kidnapped, but now a good twenty feet off the ground.

Ha! Take THAT squirrels! Yuusuke can get you good now!

The only downside was his new babysitter: Hiei. He remembered meeting him in that big room with all those weird smells. He was nowhere near as fun as Kurama; at least Kurama would play with him. Hiei wouldn't let him go out on a limb to follow those damned squirrels. Hiei wouldn't let him curl up on his lap and sleep. Hiei wouldn't throw a stick for him to chase. Just what did he do for fun?

Yuusuke was reduced to flopping down on the thick branch and staring Hiei down. The demon did not seem to care one bit, and that irritated Yuusuke to no end. He contemplated barking, but was worried Hiei would be so startled by his mighty bark that he would jump like a scared cat and plummet to the ground. Instead, he repeatedly huffed, loud enough to make a noise, but not enough to surprise.

"Enough," Hiei finally growled.

Yuusuke perked up, and his tail wagged. Finally! He's paying attention!

One crimson eye opened to look at the brown pup; the moment Hiei looked up at him, he sprung, jumping into Hiei's lap and putting his paws on his chest. Hiei growled in warning, but made no move to harm or even push the pup away.

Instead, he watched. There seemed to be nothing left of Yuusuke's human personality in the infant dog that he could see, and he could not determine whether that was good or bad. There were certainly things about Yuusuke that he'd be more than willing to correct. Puppies could be taught, but Yuusuke was decidedly human, despite his current state. Hiei contemplated the rightness of such a thing and shook his head. There really was no 'rightness' with Yuusuke, now was there?

He was ripped from his thoughts when Yuusuke ran his tongue over his chin and cheek. Hiei didn't know how to react and stayed perfectly still, as if to will away the moment, but he couldn't for long. A dark blush ran across his nose and made it so far as to his ears before he pushed most of the embarrassment down.

Even if he was a dog, he was still Yuusuke. _Yuusuke_ had _licked_ him. The mere thought was enough to bring back the blush.

Tenderly, Hiei pushed Yuusuke back to sit on his hind legs and wiped at his face, "I hope you don't remember anything, Yuusuke. It will be uncomfortable for the both of us, and it is _your fault_."

Yuusuke yipped and rubbed his head against Hiei's chest. Ah, simply being cute did work sometimes! He knew deep down Hiei would give in if he held out long enough.

Hiei looked around, as if anyone could see him, and scratched behind Yuusuke's ears. Yuusuke instantly tensed in pleasure, shut his eyes, and relaxed in Hiei's lap. So this was why humans enjoyed a canine's company so much, Hiei thought. It wasn't so bad, he _guessed_, and held an inkling of charm and more than a little bit of entertainment.

There must be a bigger picture to this; a mutt must have a downside.

"Hiei!"

Hiei looked down and saw Kurama, clad in only his pajamas, staring up at him. He didn't smirk, he didn't wave, and he didn't even acknowledge Kurama past the look before moving to get comfortable again. Yuusuke, however, had different plans. Upon hearing Kurama's voice, he looked up and around, but saw no Kurama. Whining softly, he gazed up at Hiei.

"Don't you ignore me."

"I'm not. You're free to speak."

Confusion was written across the puppy's face. He stood up and began to sniff. He could hear Kurama and he could smell Kurama, but he could not see Kurama. What kind of sorcery was this?

"Have you seen Yuusuke?"

"Yes, about an hour ago, running through _my_ forest naked."

"Running through the- Why didn't you stop him? Or at the very least, help him?"

"Help him?" Hiei scoffed. "I've helped him more than enough. If he wants to streak, let him streak. Besides, wasn't he in _your_ charge? I shouldn't have to watch him."

Kurama didn't answer right away. He looked down at his shoes and sighed heavily, "He took off while I was with my brother, and I couldn't catch up to him. Otherwise-"

"Excuses."

Yuusuke chose that moment to voice his concern. It started as a hiccupping whine that quickly evolved into full howling. Hiei's face remained emotionless as Kurama's went from startled to realizing to angry. His arms crossed over his chest as he glared up at the little fire demon.

"No insult is low enough to be stamped on you at this precise moment."

"Refreshing."

Kurama was too angry to form a coherent sentence. He'd already been made a fool and he would not make himself a bigger one. Without warning, Hiei grabbed Yuusuke by the scruff of his neck and tossed him. The brown lab curled up at being hurled and couldn't make a sound as he plummeted. Luckily, Kurama was there to catch him with a gasp and a huff in Hiei's direction.

"That was uncalled for!" Kurama growled, but his irritation couldn't be voiced past that point.

Yuusuke, in a fit of hysterical happiness, began to yip, whine, shake, and bark as he attacked Kurama's face and neck. Kurama couldn't ignore him, and slowly, his frustration melted away. What was it about dogs that relieved so much tension? Kurama chuckled lightly and scratched behind Yuusuke's ears.

Yuusuke gave Kurama a light lick to his cheek and laid his muzzle on his shoulder. A yawn, a slight wag of his tail, and he fell asleep right there. Hiei was all well and good, but Kurama made him feel safe and he was much more comfortable than Hiei's lap.

"I'm not sure if you deserve it, but you have my thanks, Hiei."

"Whatever," Hiei snorted. "I didn't do it for you."

"Then you have Yuusuke's gratitude, I'm sure. I'd hate to think what would have happened to him."

"He'd be harassed by a tanuki and running around with his tail between his legs. Big deal."

"A tanuki?"

"Shouldn't you be getting home, fox?" Hiei growled. "Get out of my forest."

Kurama didn't argue with Hiei further. He turned sharply on his heels and walked away. When he was sure he was far enough, Kurama stopped and again looked down at Yuusuke. For running around in the woods for hours, he didn't look dirty or scathed, probably Hiei's doing. He didn't look it, but Hiei was somewhat of a clean-freak.

Yuusuke looked up at him with a puppy grin on his face and tail wagging. As cute as he was, his features were a painful reminder that Yuusuke was not really Yuusuke, but a dog with a dog's mind. Kurama's arms tightened around his friend's body. The dog in his arms whined, sensing his distress, and licked his chin. He didn't like this Kurama, he thought as his ears smoothed back on his head, he didn't like this Kurama at all.

It was a pregnant moment, standing there, full of emotion and very long seconds, but eventually, Kurama began to walk again, still painfully aware that it was a puppy in his arms and not a friend walking next to him.

~.:||:.~

He and Yuusuke shined slightly in what little light was available as he crossed the threshold into his room. The pelting rain played an uneven tune against his window, and Kurama fell onto his bed, uncaring of his wet clothes or the wet dog sticking to him. At the very least, he got Yuusuke back, even if it started raining on the way home. Karma worked fast in his world.

Yuusuke shook only once before burying himself under Kurama's arm. Ah~ This was nice. This was what he was used to. If only Hiei had been as inviting and comfortable as Kurama, Yuusuke would have enjoyed himself a lot more. But, some people you just can't change, and Yuusuke wasn't going to try. What the hell did he care? Kurama was all he needed.

Tiredly, Kurama placed a soft hand on top of Yuusuke's head and gave his ears a weak rub, "Don't do that again."

Oh, Yuusuke wouldn't dream of running off.

. . .Well, not so soon anyway.

Yuusuke cuddled closer to Kurama's face and gave his nose a halfhearted lick, but his tail beat against Kurama's arm and side with all the ferocity of a wide-awake pup. Kurama, smiling slightly, leaned down and placed a kiss to Yuusuke's brow. He froze. Just what was he doing? A scratch behind the ears was one thing, but a kiss was entirely different, even if he was kissing a dog.

Oh, please Lord, do not let Yuusuke remember this. Kurama would NEVER hear the end of it.

Already, his mind was dipping into the various outcomes should Yuusuke remember the small show of affection. He latched onto two in particular: utter disgust and anger and unrelenting mockery.

Kurama frowned. Why did Yuusuke have to be so immature? But then, Yuusuke surprised him. Maybe, Yuusuke wouldn't care. Maybe, just maybe, he would be more attached to his mortification over his own very forward adoration. At the very least, Kurama had his own ammunition just in case Yuusuke did decide on teasing. Yuusuke gave more kisses than he did.

He was just about to fall into full sleep when he heard the soft sound of his name from the door, "Shuuichi?"

Kurama looked up and saw Shuuichi, in a rumpled set of pajamas and looking rather upset. His face was red, along with his eyes, and he sniffled. Even far away, Kurama could smell the salt water that had dried on Shuuichi's cheeks.

"Yes?"

Shuuichi shifted on his feet and picked at the skin around his nails, "I-I'm sorry."

"Shuuichi, please go back to bed."

"But-!"

Yuusuke looked up, yawning, and looked toward the door. He wagged his tail, but didn't get up from his spot near Kurama. He just got comfortable, and even if he was excited to see Shuuichi, he was not moving. Shuuichi was completely stunned at the sight, but only for a moment. He smiled in disbelief, a slight curve of his lips caught between confused and elated, and looked to his elder sibling.

Kurama only yawned in response, "See? Everything is fine, Shuuichi. Now, please, go back to bed. It is late, and I am tired."

Shuuichi nodded and, still with his shy-like smile, turned to leave, "Oyasumi nasai, Onii-chan."

"Oyasumi."

Next, all he needed was his alarm to-

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

With a sigh, Kurama stared at the clock. Why had he set his alarm for four-thirty? He shut his eyes, but his brain would not function, would not tell him the reason for this early rise. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered right now, but sleep and Yuusuke's safety.

~.:||:.~

He remembered the next morning just why he had set his clock so early. He had work to do before work, but he'd be shot out of a cannon before he decided to go to work today. He didn't wake up until ten-something or another, and he didn't get out of bed until eleven, maybe eleven thirty. He didn't care. He wanted sleep, and he was damn sure going to get it.

Thankfully, Yuusuke also wanted his sleep. He hadn't woken Kurama up the entire time he laid in bed and had, in fact, slept alongside him the entire time. His escapades in the woods must have really worn him out, and Kurama knew how hard it was to sleep with Hiei watching you.

What surprised Kurama the most was the lack of attention from his family. Shuuichi had not come in to say goodbye before rushing off to school. Shiori had not called him for breakfast. And Hatanaka-san had not reminded him of. . well, anything. (It was a more than slightly annoying habit of Hatanaka-san, reminding Kurama of anything and everything he could remember. Kurama often joked to his mother that her husband was his sticky note.)

He made breakfast and grimaced at how late it was. He wouldn't sleep tonight due to this little detour in his schedule. What's worse, the rain hadn't let up, meaning that Yuusuke would sit at the sliding doors, stare out into the yard, and be all around mopey.

"Yuusuke," He called.

The pup perked up and looked toward him. Toddling over, he sat and waited patiently for Kurama to set his plate down, which he inhaled in a matter of moments. Kurama took his time, watching as Yuusuke licked fruitlessly at his now-empty plate and feeling the pit roll around in his stomach. What was it about rainy days that slowed everything down and made things miserable?

He sighed, gave up, and set his mostly untouched plate on the floor for Yuusuke to enjoy. This day was going to drag on forever.

He rose to his feet and walked out of the room. Even if he had a day off, he didn't really have a day off.

~.:||:.~

The moment the rain stopped, Yuusuke was scratching and barking at the door. Kurama was more than happy to let him out. The pup had started to drive him crazy. Instead of staring gloomily at the door, he had taken to following Kurama around the house, whining and whining and whining, and forcing himself into Kurama's lap, on his feet, on his side, anywhere he could just to be close to him.

Once or twice, Kurama considered just throwing him out into the rain. He had work to do and he didn't have time to entertain one of Yuusuke's fits, but now he didn't have to worry about it anymore. He slid the glass doors open, threw out Yuusuke's ball, and let him take off running across the wet grass.

Kurama smiled at the feel of the sun on his skin, the smell of rain still fresh, and the air still cool and crisp. He hummed in appreciation and grabbed up his things. While everything was still wet, it could be enjoyed, at least for a little bit. He could watch Yuusuke more closely outside after all and still get things done.

So computer set up on the freshly wiped-down outdoor table, Kurama made himself comfortable. The moment his fingers settled on the keys to type, he heard the unmistakable _pot-pot-pot_ of a tennis ball bouncing toward him. He looked down and saw a very muddy, albeit very happy, Yuusuke waiting patiently for Kurama to throw the ball again.

He chuckled, "Already bugging me, hm? I'll only do this for a bit. I do need to get some work done today, Yuusuke."

He tossed the ball, and again Yuusuke bolted after it, slipping and sliding across the mud spots and pressed grass into puddles. Kurama watched out of the corner of his eye and with great amusement as Yuusuke tried to run, but failed with no traction. He soon lost interest in returning the ball to Kurama and took to tossing it around himself instead.

It was no nevermind to the kitsune. If Yuusuke could entertain himself relatively peacefully, that was fine by him. He'd just need to keep an eye out for any injuries the pup might incur.

A sharp yelp in surprise caught his attention and had Kurama looking about frantically. There, at the edge of the yard, spouts of splashing came out of a pool of muddy water. Kurama sprinted to Yuusuke, cursing loudly. He knew there was a deep hole in the yard; why couldn't Yuusuke just stay away from trouble?

And how the hell did the hole fill up all the way? It didn't rain that much, did it?

Kurama plunged his hands into the murky mess and was stunned when muddy hands suddenly gripped back. A head broke the surface, gasping and coughing lightly, and a body soon filled the cavity.

"Yuusuke!" Kurama cried as he helped him up. "It's about time-"

But something was very wrong. Yuusuke knelt down on the ground and shook violently, much like a wet dog, flinging the muddy water off him. He looked up, brown eyes alight with happiness, and smiled at Kurama.

Twin, floppy brown ears perked up on Yuusuke's head, and a long brown tail wagged on the lowest part of his back. The collar Kuwabara had bestowed upon him was his only clothing, but that was to be expected. This combination of dog and Yuusuke, however, certainly was not.

Kurama did not know how to react. He could only function enough to make himself breathe and blink. This wasn't supposed to happen, was it? Just what was he supposed to do with him now?

Kurama backed up slightly, completely at a loss and placed his hand to his head. It's alright, Kurama, just think, he told himself. No, no, this was definitely not alright. This was very, very wrong. What if Yuusuke was stuck like this?

Yuusuke rose to his feet, unsteadily at first, but he soon got the hang of it. Tail wagging still, his smile only deepened as he looked down to his feet and wiggled his toes. He was just like Kurama now! Look, he had feet, and legs, and arms, and hands! He could even walk like Kurama if he tried really hard! Oh, this was going to make getting food out of the cabinets **_so_** much easier!

He moved toward Kurama and wrapped his arms around him, just as Shuuichi did many, many times in the past three weeks. Oh, it was even nicer being able to do it himself. Kurama weakly hugged back and patted his head. What the hell was he going to do with him?

Shaking his head, Kurama quickly led Yuusuke inside, up the stairs, and into the bathroom. First, get him clean; second, find him some clothes; third, take him home. He can't stay here. That would lead to too many questions. He could take care of him better in his own apartment. Atsuko wouldn't notice anything. No, she hardly noticed anything, and besides, she knew what Yuusuke did for a living. She would take it all in stride, right? Right? Right.

Oh, this was so much worse than he thought. He couldn't handle this. No, he shook himself mentally, you can! That's no way to think!

But looking over Yuusuke now, standing in nothing but a pajama shirt, tail making the back rise up just slightly, and innocently playing with the tags on his collar, Kurama couldn't help the overwhelming blush that came to his cheeks.

Yuusuke had been cute as a puppy, but now, he was unbearably so.

Kurama cleared his throat. He would have to work through this, "Y-Yuusuke?" His ears rose up slightly, and wide, curious eyes turned on Kurama, "D-do you want to go for a walk?"

Yuusuke's excitement couldn't be contained. He hopped about the redhead, gently pushing him toward the door. Kurama found his leash and hooked it onto his collar, but he froze went he reached for the doorknob.

How was he going to hide this?

He couldn't just walk to Yuusuke's apartment complex with Yuusuke on a leash. The things people would say! Not that he cared what any human thought of him, but Yuusuke. . .

He sneaked a look at the detective-turned-puppy-turned-half-and-half and shuddered. He looked so happy waiting ever so patiently for Kurama to open the door. If he turned back into full Yuusuke with all those people passing rumors back and forth. . .

Kurama might as well kill himself now. He peered out the window and sighed in relief. Hatanaka-san must have driven Shiori today. Her car still sat in the driveway. Kurama immediately grabbed her keys from the ring and hurried Yuusuke into the vehicle. His excitement could not be dampened. Not only was he going for a walk, he was also going to ride in the car!

As Kurama pulled out of the driveway, his mind still raced with thoughts, but a single thought was more prominent than the rest:

What if Yuusuke was stuck like this?

* * *

**Author's Note**: I apologize for the unnecessary wait on this chapter. I simply hit a slump and whenever I worked up the nerve to write more of this, it was not up to my standards. I was ashamed to even think of posting it. I do hope, however, that this chapter is satisfactory.

Also, as I asked in my other fics "**Lil Red Riding Hood**" and "**Blind**," among others, I'd really like some new ideas or things that you all would like to read. Just to keep it easy, I really like to operate within the Yuu Yuu Hakusho or Naruto universes, but I'd be willing to branch out depending on the anime. I'm not very anime-savvy, as sad as it is to mention. Also, leave a brief and _**vague**_ prompt or outline for the story matter.

For example:  
Yuusuke and Hiei, lost together in Makai for X amount of days.  
Or  
Naruto and Sasuke, older and stuck together like in that one filler episode.

I do really enjoy working with Yuusuke and Naruto, so any suggestions with them would be greatly received. However, as mentioned before I'm willing to work with others depending. I'd also really like prompts to be hazy enough that I can possibly make a one- or two-shot out of them.

Of course, all credit to the prompt will be mentioned in the story itself.

Thank you for taking time to read "**Henkei!**" and hope you look forward to whatever I put out in the future.

P.S. I have the worst fetish with Hiei giving Kurama a hard time. . .


	5. Back to Normal?

**Author's Note:** Unedited. Enjoy as is.  
**Warnings: **Yaoi/shounen-ai/boyxboy, Kurama-x-Yuusuke, language, lime?  
**Summary: **While out on a mission, Urameshi Yuusuke is struck with a curse - that transforms him into a puppy! No one knows how long he'll be stuck in this form, not even KoEnma himself. Who will take care of the Reikai Tantei in his time of need?  
**Disclaimer: **Yuu Yuu Hakusho and all its characters belong to Yoshihiro Togashi. The plot was derived from a Sasunaru doujinshi. I unfortunately do not know the name and author but all the credit belongs to them.

**HENKEI!  
MINAMINO "KURAMA" SHUUICHI AND URAMESHI YUUSUKE  
PART 5  
**

* * *

Ooooh, if Kurama only knew how happy this new place made him!

It was much smaller than Kurama's house, but no less fun. He had sniffed all he could sniff back home, but this place, there seemed to be no end to the smells! There was garbage, food, mystery spots of liquid everywhere, and even better, there seemed to be lots of people that came through here if the couch was any indication.

So caught up in his own exploration that he hardly noticed Kurama's disappearance into the rear rooms of the apartment. This couldn't get worse, he chanted over and over in his head as he searched through Yuusuke's clothes. There was hardly anything useful clean and Yuusuke's mother could show up any minute. Just how odd would it be to find Yuusuke, half-manboy half-puppy, rifling through anything he could get his paws on (no pun intended) while Kurama was cleaning like a stressed out housewife?

Pretty, pretty odd, he'd wager.

Finally, he decided against finding something clean and began digging through the horrendously huge pile spilling out of Yuusuke's hamper. Just how the Hell did one person go through so many clothes? Kurama doubted he had as many clothes as Yuusuke did.

Upon closer inspection of the tags, Kurama reasoned there was no way Yuusuke could squeeze into anything that was lying around now. That meant Yuusuke's mother kept these things and wore them regularly. Or maybe Yuusuke himself kept all these old clothes for his mother's sake.

Kurama shivered. God, he would hate to go into her room. If she destroyed Yuusuke's like this when he was away. . .

He should get a hold of KoEnma. Maybe the Reikai prince had discovered something, and even if he hadn't, he needed to know about this new development. He wouldn't be happy to know his spirit detective was a puppy-minded human (or was it a human-bodied puppy?), but he needed to know nevertheless.

Oh, that woman was damn lucky Hiei got a hold of her before he had, Kurama thought darkly. This was all _her_ fault to begin with.

Kurama jumped at the sudden warmth and weight across his back. Yuusuke laid across him, trying to look over his shoulder as he squatted. What was so interesting about a pile of clothes? They didn't smell any different than normal clothes, other than they were slightly messy and had someone else's scent on them.

Yuusuke set his chin on Kurama's shoulder and let his ears and tail droop. Maybe this place wasn't as exciting as he originally thought. Hopefully Kurama brought some of his toys with him.

"Got bored already, did you?" Yuusuke's tail wagged only slightly at Kurama's questioning. "Oh, Yuusuke, I can't decide if you're more of a handful now than you were before."

Yuusuke smiled at Kurama and leaned in toward his face. Gently, he ran his tongue over the expanse of soft cheek presented to him. Kurama froze, unsure of how to react. Sure, Yuusuke's 'given kisses' plenty of times over the course of his puppy-ness, but this. . .

This was different.

Yuusuke nearly looked like Yuusuke aside from the ears and tail and mentality. No, no, no! He couldn't lose himself in a simple, natural, and completely non-sexual part of doggy life. If he looked too much into this now, he'd do something he'd regret (and would most likely never hear the end of, regardless of the ridiculous circumstances.)

Kurama stood abruptly, causing Yuusuke to tumble back, "Are you hungry, Yuusuke?"

His only response was a sharp yip and the fevered wagging of a scruffy tail. Kurama briskly walked into the kitchen and began to scour the entirety of it. He had to keep himself busy, keep the thoughts of Yuusuke, so warm, so inviting, so _close_.

Stop it! Stop it now!

Kurama sighed heavily and found nothing worth while in the cabinets. The refrigerator was nearly as bare as everywhere else, but thankfully, Kurama could scrounge up enough to put together a decent meal. Honestly, how could, how would, and how did Atsuko survive without her son around?

Yuusuke hovered like a vulture the entire time Kurama mussed around, whining occasionally and generally just getting under foot.

"Yuusuke!" Kurama finally huffed, frustrated enough to raise his voice. "Please! I'm trying to cook."

Yuusuke suddenly stood at Kurama's outburst, hitting a the bottom of the pot in Kurama's hand with the top of his head, and successfully splashing the, thankfully, lukewarm liquid over Kurama's front and face. Kurama stood, eyes closed and face mimicking impassive, and slowly collected himself internally. He couldn't get mad at Yuusuke again. Yelling at him would be the equivalent of yelling at a brick wall (not that Yuusuke being puppy-minded made any difference than normal-minded), and God only knows what would transpire should he give into his irritation if this incident was any indication.

The pot's bottom gently found rest on the counter, and long slender fingers felt around for a towel. Before Kurama could find it himself, its fuzzy body was pressed against his face. Grateful and slightly confused, he wiped himself as clean as he could manage and turned toward Yuusuke.

He was quietly staring at him, head cocked slightly to the side, ears and tail droopy, but something sparkled in his eyes. Emotions danced across the chocolate expanse of Yuusuke's iris. He hazarded a guess at them: confusion, concern, but one was clearer than the rest, understanding.

"Yuusuke?" He questioned, backing into the counter as Yuusuke moved forward. "Y-Yuusuke?"

Yuusuke's hard body was pressed uncomfortably against Kurama's lean form and forced the edge of the counter into his lower back. He grunted at the contact and tried to push the man-puppy away.

"Back up," Kurama commanded. "I'm not playing with you. Back up now."

His hands pressed flat against the solid vastness of Yuusuke's chest and tried to push him away, but the moment pressure was applied, Yuusuke's very human hands came up and grabbed his wrists. Kurama tried to resist as Yuusuke pulled them away and held them down onto the counter.

Kurama found himself leaning back as Yuusuke moved forward, forcing his legs between Kurama's and getting closer and closer to his face. He turned his head sharply, determined to avoid Yuusuke at all costs and yet unwilling to do him any harm. Dogs had a fear memory, to hurt him seriously, even in defense, would mar his puppy-mind with a scar of betrayal and broken trust. He snarled. This wasn't fair. Yuusuke's physical strength was much greater than his own, and in his current state, he didn't know how to temper any impulses.

Yuusuke whined lowly and pressed his nose to Kurama's cheek. Still, Kurama wouldn't turn to look him in the face. He couldn't be sure of Yuusuke's train of thought, but he had a pretty good idea of what it entailed. He would not do this. He just needed a moment to think.

Kurama tensed at the sudden wetness that ran over his ear. His arms jerked, wanting to raise his hands up and clamp one over his violated ear, to no avail. The wet flatness moved lower and lapped at the junction of his jaw and neck before moving lower still to settle at the crook of his neck.

He struggled to control his breathing. The warmth of Yuusuke's body pressed against him, the anger bubbling deep inside, and the defiant excitement all fueled his increasingly erratic panting. Yuusuke shouldn't be nudging at such complex things, but here he was, pressed chest to knee to Kurama, and infuriating, as well as impassioning, him to the core.

Yuusuke moved, abandoning Kurama's neck to his shoulder but also his skin. Kurama could feel the slight pull and hear the rough scratch of tongue on cloth and deflated. Just what was Yuusuke playing at? He managed to turn his head enough to see Yuusuke's face and nearly fell at the sight.

Yuusuke was after the sauce covering him. Kurama watched as Yuusuke licked and sucked at the stain at Kurama's shoulder. Having cleaned Kurama's face, ear, and neck, there was nothing interesting left on Kurama's skin. Kurama sincerely wished he could have hit him. Getting him all worked up, holding him down like this, Yuusuke seemed to enjoy strumming on his nerves like a fine-tuned guitar.

Jackass.

"Yuusuke!" Kurama yelled suddenly, successfully startling the pup.

Yuusuke jumped back with wide eyes, bristled tail, and perky ears. He was almost cute enough to forgive. Almost. Kurama crossed his arms and glared Yuusuke down. Yuusuke only smiled and lazily wagged his tail.

"Don't act so cute. You know you did something wrong, and don't think I don't know you understand, Yuusuke."

Still, his smile remained, and his tail picked up speed. Kurama looked away from the detective to survey himself. Hopefully, the spill was nothing a good wash wouldn't fix, but it didn't hurt to try to force some of the mess out. He left the kitchen, blatantly ignoring Yuusuke's questioning glance, and immediately headed into the bathroom.

Damn Yuusuke. Damn that woman. Damn everything that's happened up until now.

He scrubbed at the stain and his skin. As much as he hated to admit it, he could still feel the touch of Yuusuke's breath and tongue on his neck, his ear, his cheek-

His fingers went up and traced the path Yuusuke had taken, but froze in realization. What the hell was he doing? Yuusuke didn't mean anything by the gesture, and here he was pining over it like some sick obsessed school girl in the bathroom of the man he was thinking about. He let his chin drop to his chest and shook his head.

He needed a vacation or something.

While Kurama was a thinker, it would be nice not to think for a while, to just relax, to not have to worry about losing a friend, or lying to his mother, or hiding from his family, or cleaning up a horrendous mess-

A loud crash had Kurama's heart racing and body jumping. He rushed out of the bathroom and into the kitchen. He immediately wished he hadn't. White covered everything from floor to ceiling. A cloud of it still hung in the air. To his right, he could see the culprit: a bag of flour, and to his left, he saw Yuusuke, looking like a crude Halloween ghost as he sat on the floor rubbing at his eyes.

"Oh, Yuusuke."

Yuusuke managed to clear his vision and look up at Kurama. A smile blossomed, his tail wagged, and another cloud of flour was stirred up.

"Yes, yes, you're adorable," Kurama turned on his heels to head back to the bathroom for some towels. Before he took a step forward, he stopped himself and whipped back around to glare at Yuusuke. "Stay."

Instantly, Yuusuke's slightly raised bottom hit the floor again, and his hands pulled away from the counter he was using as leverage. Kurama quickly gathered as many towels as he could find, headed back into the kitchen, and scrounged up the white vinegar he had seen in one of the cabinets. The process of cleaning was slow and miserable. Between working with small areas so not to let the flour plaster itself to everything, constantly having to change the bowl of water he worked with, and Yuusuke being nosy and, much to Kurama's dismay, touchy, it was a miracle that he got done as quickly as he did.

He currently sat on Yuusuke's bathroom floor with his back pressed against the slick side of the tub, wracking his brain for any enlightening thought and listening to the enthusiastic splashes coming from behing him. It just didn't make any sense. Why was Yuusuke like this? Kurama could find no reason why the transformation was incomplete, or why he had changed as spontaneously as he did.

It couldn't have been the water. Over the course of Yuusuke's stay with Kurama, he'd given him plenty of baths and had even hosed Yuusuke down right after the incident to get the mud off him.

So, no water or mud to spur on a reaction.

What else was there then? Was the possession on a timer? Would Yuusuke pop back into being a normal man at any moment? Or was this permanent?

The middle of Kurama's forehead began to ache as he thought, brow furrowed and fists ringing his pant legs. Why couldn't these answers be simple? The pressure of Yuusuke's mother's impending arrival and Kurama's own mother's worries at his absence weighted just as heavily upon him as these unanswerable inquiries, further increasing his headache.

Things could never be easy, could they?

Kurama jolted at the sudden wetness and weight on his shoulders. A hot breath and even hotter, wetter tongue ran over his ear as he was pulled over the side and into the waiting tub. Yuusuke's tail created lazy waves as he held enthusiastically onto Kurama, and Kurama's heart beat wildly in his chest when the answer hit him: shock and fear. The mudhole in his backyard was merely the catalyst to Yuusuke's midway transformation. What really triggered Yuusuke's change was the intensity of his emotions in that singular moment.

Or so the theory went.

Slowly, Kurama slid out of the tub, much to Yuusuke's confusion, and started to slip out of his wet clothes. Hopefully, this worked, otherwise he'd have some serious explaining to do. He loomed over Yuusuke, clad in only his boxers, and slowly moved to cover him with his body. Yuusuke, at first, wagged his tail stiffly. This was nice, right? Kurama wanted to be close to him. . . right?

At the first touch of lips to his neck, Yuusuke quickly decided that this was not the kind of attention he wanted from Kurama. This was, well he wasn't sure what this was, but Kurama's attitude and aura were definitely not the friendliest and rather concerning.

Kurama's teeth worried Yuusuke's sensitive ear, and his hands moved down his chest. Yuusuke tensed, jumped, and scrambled out of the tub. He didn't make it far. Kurama was upon him in a flash, pinning him to the now slick floor with practiced ease. How many times had he done this with lovers past? Though willing, they always liked to pretend.

He'd admit, the fear running rampant through Yuusuke's features hurt his heart more than anything he'd experienced before. But this was for Yuusuke's own good, he hoped, and he had to see this through, just until it got a little too up close and personal.

Yuusuke's chest heaved under him as he struggled, and the beat from blood rushing through the vein under Kurama's tongue cued Kurama in to just how scared Yuusuke was. He whined, he growled, he even yipped, all in a vain effort to curb Kurama's attentions, to no avail. Kurama shut his eyes and captured Yuusuke's lips, ravaging his surprised mouth.

God, he hoped Yuusuke didn't remember any of this. Please, please change back.

He pulled away, face flushed, and stared down at Yuusuke. He was the makeup of dreams, and that only increased Kurama's blush. How adorable he looked, face reddened, freckles that were once invisible now bright against the red fullness of his cheeks, lips pouty and plump, and jet black hair clinging to his brow and neck.

Kurama swallowed the hard lump in his throat and leaned down to Yuusuke's chest. He felt Yuusuke's heart jump and his pectorals tense at the attention.

"Stop!" The sudden command echoed in Yuusuke's tiny bathroom.

Kurama was thrown back by the force of Yuusuke's hands escaping his grip and shoving against him. The sight that greeted him made his heart soar: Yuusuke, tail-less, floppy ear-less, and completely aware of the situation laid in front of him with his hands hiding his face.

"Yuu-Yuusuke?" Kurama questioned, trying to be sure this newest transformation was real.

"D-d-d-dude, don't talk to me right now," Yuusuke licked his lips nervously, "This-This is,"

He couldn't finish. Instead, he sat up and hazarded a look at Kurama through his fingers, only to quickly close them again and blush all the way down his neck to his shoulders. He huffed, trying to calm his breathing and the harsh beat of his heart in his ears, and pulled his knees up to his chest, only to tense again. His heels touched the bareness of his bottom, and the realization of his own nakedness was very apparent.

"D-do you have a towel?" Yuusuke managed and was rewarded with a fluffy clean cloth.

"Yuusuke, we need to talk."

"No!" Yuusuke immediately shouted. "No talking! Let's just forget it. I-It never happened! It-It was all a bad dream!"

"I'm not going to say it was a bad dream, and I don't mean we need to talk right now. I just need to make sure you're alright, see if there's any long lasting effects from your possession. Do you think you can walk?"

"Y-You nearly had your fucking way with me in the bathroom and now you're all concerned?"

Kurama's eye twitched, but manfully, he held down the bubble of rage. That was exactly what Yuusuke wanted, to get Kurama so pissed that he stormed out and left Yuusuke to his own devices. He would not fall prey to the oldest trick in the book.

Instead, he smiled.

"Of course. What kind of friend would I be if I wasn't concerned? I'd expect the same treatment from you."

The tension in Yuusuke's body only intensified, simultaneously signalling Yuusuke's defeat and Kurama's victory, for the moment. Kurama pulled the plug out of the tub, rung his clothes out over the rapidly decreasing water, and began to dry himself off. Yuusuke watched all this through the slits in his fingers with some measure of curiosity, but quickly completely banished all thoughts unrelated to the embarrassment he was feeling.

"I need to borrow your dryer."

Yuusuke said nothing for a moment, but again, licked his lips and mustered up the energy to reply, "I-I have clothes you can borrow."

"Do you really? I thought they were all in that horrendous pile in your room."

"That was probably Ma."

Kurama sighed. He guessed as much. Honestly, if Yuusuke knew, why didn't he try to right the situation? He smiled again in Yuusuke's direction, this time more genuinely than the last.

"I'll be happy to help you-"

"No, dude," Yuusuke replied quickly and seriously. "You've done enough. The laundry room is at the end of the hallway."

Yuusuke finally stood, wrapped the towel around his waist, and left the bathroom, without wobble or mishap. Kurama couldn't tell if he was holding down some sort of imbalance or if he was truly alright, but he decided to check into it later. His near nudity was making Yuusuke more uncomfortable than whatever symptoms the post-possession may or may not have brought on.

Kurama waited a few moments before heading to Yuusuke's laundry room. As he expected, it was bare, and not a shred of fabric was to be seen in either machine. At least, he could throw in his clothes without the hassle of working around others. He leaned against the wall, absently staring at the swirling colors and listening to the whirring white noise.

He should be happy that Yuusuke was back to normal, but all he was met with was an empty sadness.

With a sigh, he looked around, trying to distract himself from his damning thoughts. His eyes landed on Yuusuke's compact, a pack of cigarettes, and a lighter. He supposed he should call KoEnma to tell him the good news.

"KoEnma speaking~" The toddler called through the settling static. "Oh! Kurama! How's it?"

"You're oddly chipper today, KoEnma-sama. It's a nice change," Kurama replied as pleasantly as he could. "I wanted to inform you that Yuusuke is as normal as Yuusuke can get."

"You mean he changed back? When?"

"About ten minutes ago. He seems fine, no long-term effects so far."

"So, how'd it happen?"

Kurama was silent for a moment, but he smiled at the toddler, "It just happened."

Without another word, he shut the compact and ignored the expected ringing coming from it a moment later. KoEnma would give up trying to contact him after a few tries, and Yuusuke would be damned before he answered. He set the compact back in its place and stared at the pack of cigarettes taunting him. He grabbed it viciously, ripped open the lid, and put a stick between his lips. The sudden smell of sweet smoke filled his sensitive nostrils at first light and filled his lungs at first drag. The burn was delicious and strikingly familiar.

Yuusuke wouldn't mind if he stole just one, would he?

* * *

**Author's note: **I cannot possibly express how happy I am to be done with this chapter. I had to, literally, write this five different times because, for some strange reason, it kept disappearing. I loathe my new computer with a passion, but unfortunately there's nothing I can do about it. I suppose you've heard enough of my whining.

On another note, I do believe that this will be the second to last chapter. There's not much else to write other than what will be discussed in the next installment. All the same, I hope you enjoyed.


	6. Chased Down

**Warnings: **Yaoi/shounen-ai/boyxboy, Kurama-x-Yuusuke, language, lime?  
**Summary: **While out on a mission, Urameshi Yuusuke is struck with a curse - that transforms him into a puppy! No one knows how long he'll be stuck in this form, not even KoEnma himself. Who will take care of the Reikai Tantei in his time of need?  
**Disclaimer: **Yuu Yuu Hakusho and all its characters belong to Yoshihiro Togashi. The plot was derived from a Sasunaru doujinshi. I unfortunately do not know the name and author but all the credit belongs to them.

**HENKEI!  
MINAMINO "KURAMA" SHUUICHI AND URAMESHI YUUSUKE  
PART 6**

* * *

Yuusuke avoided Kurama for five weeks. He occupied his time by running meaningless errands, getting lost in the bowels of 'his turf,' and just generally hiding whenever he felt anyone associated with Kurama within one-hundred feet of him. How he got away with five weeks of hiding was a miracle in and of itself, and Yuusuke thanked his lucky stars that he got away with absconding thus far.

Though, he knew his luck was dwindling. Once or twice, he had glimpsed the sneaky fox out of the corner of his eye. When he turned to look, Kurama was always gone, but Yuusuke knew, oh did he know, he wasn't just seeing things.

He wanted to put new locks on the doors, but what good would that do? Kurama knew how to break into vaults and safes no mortal man could even fathom; his front door would be so simple, Kurama wouldn't even have to use his magnificent smarts to unlock it, and Yuusuke knew for a fact he already had. Why he hadn't just waited for the detective to come home was a complete mystery, but Kurama no doubt had more pressing matters than an illusive friend.

The prospect terrified Yuusuke. Kurama was a man who had his priorities completely in check. If Yuusuke made it onto that list, whatever that list entailed, the former thief, without any shadow of a doubt, would resolve whatever issue he had. Put simply: Yuusuke was royally fucked with nowhere to go.

Maybe he could go to Kuwabara, but that was so obvious that Kurama would waltz right in without arousing any suspicion and corner Yuusuke. Not only that, but Yuusuke had a keen idea on what Kuwabara would do if he mentioned he was hiding from Kurama: run straight to Kurama and tell him he was a sitting duck, playing video games in Kuwabara's house. Some friend he was, that traitorous bastard.

There was also Hiei. The little demon was hard to find. He rarely came to Kurama's call. Hell, he rarely came to anyone's call but his own. Yuusuke often had to sweeten deals just to get Hiei to follow his lead. Not that he minded. He enjoyed that twisted little bit about him, but with twisted bits, he would pull the same stunt Kuwabara would: run straight to Kurama and tell him he was a sitting duck, playing hide-and-seek from the fox in whatever hovel, or forest, had become Hiei's home.

**SOME FRIENDS THEY WERE! THOSE TRAITOROUS BASTARDS!**

Yuusuke pressed the heel of his hand to his temple and sighed. Thinking this hard and stressing was hurting his head. He was never one to think things through, but here he was, lying on his filthy couch with his eyes shut tight, complaining and contemplating to himself whilst his mother shot him weird looks and complained at him too.

How long could he stay off Kurama's radar?

"Yuusuke! I said phone!"

Yuusuke tensed and looked to his mother. Shaking his head, he hissed out a whisper, "Tell them I'm not here."

"He already knows you're here. I told him. I'm not going to turn around and lie."

"You do any other time," Yuusuke muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing," He replied, snatching the phone from her hand and holding it to his ear. For a moment, he contemplated not saying anything, letting whoever was on the other end believe the call had been dropped, but he quickly found he didn't need to say anything.

"Yuusuke," Kurama's voice on the other end had Yuusuke's lungs seizing up and his heart stopping. "Don't go anywhere."

Yuusuke couldn't function for a moment; his lungs wouldn't expand, his heart wouldn't pump, and his eyelids wouldn't shut. On the other end, he readily registered the distinctive click of an ended call, and it was enough to have him snapping up, hanging up his phone, and staggering about to find clothes. Thankfully, he didn't need to look for, but unluckily, his fingers didn't want to dance to his tune.

"Ma, I'm going out!"

"What? Now? It's late!"

"Uhh, yeah, it's, um, an emergency or something!"

"Or something?"

"Yeah! Just, uh, I'll be back whenever!"

Before Atsuko had a chance to retort, the door slammed, and Yuusuke was booking it down the street. Distantly, he heard his mother's voice yelling after him about a key, but he didn't care. He needed to find somewhere to hide. But just where was safe? Kuwabara and Hiei had already been ruled out, and Keiko would surely kill him if he woke her up this late at night. The sheer sound of her rage would be a beacon for Kurama.

Why didn't he have less treasonous friends!? Narks, all of them!

Yuusuke was stopped abruptly enough to jerk forward and slam into the concrete below him. Pain exploded in his nose and cheek. His hands hadn't even shot out to stop his fall, and his face took the full impact.

"Ugh, what the fuck?" Yuusuke wheezed, not even daring to touch his bleeding nose.

Grudgingly, Yuusuke managed to push himself up and turn to look at just what stopped him. A sneaky vine seemed to wave its happy little leaves at him as it slowly enveloped his foot.

"No, no, no, no! Let go!"

He kicked and struggled, but the vine continued its slow and steady work of wrapping him up, quite contently it seemed. It was in his struggling that Yuusuke caught his first glimpse of the red-headed beast. Yuusuke wished he could have likened him to a horror film's monster, but he couldn't. He wanted him to be bulky and grey, ugly and awful, and even, slobbering and dirty, but Kurama was none of these things. Even only being able to see Kurama's blood-red hair and sharp golden-green eyes within his shadowy silhouette, Yuusuke saw his friend, a man he trusted with his life more than once, no Hollywood behemoth.

Still, that did nothing to stop Yuusuke from desperately sacrificing his shoes to the capturing vines and taking off down the street. He could outrun Kurama. He had to.

As it turned out, he had dreadfully overestimated his own speed. In a few quick strides, Kurama was upon him, much like a fox on a rabbit, and forcibly guided him into a narrow alley, slamming him against the nearest wall and holding him there. Now Yuusuke knew he had the upper hand. Strength was his thing, and no one in their group could best him in that.

He vied against Kurama, but before any sort of proper footing or a well-placed elbow in the ribs could take place, Yuusuke found himself immobilized yet again and staring into those fulgurant eyes at close range. He couldn't tell if those golden-greens were flashing because of anger or something greater.

"Oh, shit," Yuusuke muttered.

"I told you to stay put."

"You said, 'Don't go anywhere,' actually."

"So you did hear me."

"I heard you. I just don't like to listen."

"Obviously. I almost wish you were still a puppy. At least then you'd sit when I told you to."

"Fuck you," Yuusuke spat venomously.

"You cannot avoid me forever, Yuusuke. I won't let you avoid me."

"So you're going to tie me up whenever you feel like I'm 'avoiding you'? That's fucking healthy and a stable way of looking at things, you sociopath."

"We both can do without the insults, and don't deny you have been avoiding me. I'm not sure if it's embarrassment or anger or what-have-you, but I want you to know that the events of your stay with me are strictly between us. If embarrassment drive you, you have my word that I had no intention of telling anyone. Be it anger, I'd like to apologize."

"Great, you can fucking start my apologizing for these goddamn vines and let me go. We won't talk about this. Ever."

"Ah, so it is embarrassment. Yuusuke, you were a _dog_."

"Dude, don't tell me how I feel. That shit is over and done with. Maybe after living with you for however the fuck long I just wanted to take a break from you. Ever think about that?"

"Hostility. Healthy. A stable way of going about things."

"Don't twist my fucking words."

Kurama sighed and let his head roll back on his shoulders. He knew this wouldn't be easy, but he had hoped this wouldn't be infuriating, which it was quickly turning out to be. How many times had he had to argue like this in his past? Hell, he could barely call it arguing, dodging was more like it. Kuronue had been a master at it, and thus made Kurama a master in breaking through those walls. Still, Kuronue won at least 7 out of 10 of every one of their verbal matches.

If this was going to be a long-running thing between him and Yuusuke, Kurama was determined to not let Yuusuke beat Kuronue's record, for selfish reasons, but also, he didn't want that strained distance. Kuronue and Kurama had no such distance between them, but Yuusuke was no Kuronue; he was prone to quick tempered decisions, which Kuronue never was, and tended to hold a grudge, which Kuronue never did (well, at least never with people he cared for). This experience, while very embarrassing and all around irritating, should only bring them closer. Yuusuke didn't need to fall at his feet in gratitude or even give him a simple thank you, but to completely shun him hurt Kurama deeply.

"I don't want any bad blood between us."

"There's no bad blood. You took care of my ass when no one else wanted me."

"They had their reasons. I was the most fitting choice, and I was happy to do it. You're a good friend. I hope you would do the same for me."

"I would have, except for the whole too-close moment in the bathroom."

"Is this what this is about? This distance between us?"

Yuusuke didn't say a word; Kurama took the silence as a yes. He chewed on his lip and cast his gaze down toward the filthy pavement. At the time, he didn't know what to feel about that incident. Kurama wasn't ignorant enough to think for a moment if Yuusuke hadn't stopped him, had given him the okay to keep going, he would have just stopped and given him a teasing grin. He chalked it up to being a spur of the moment, but he had had a lot of time to analyze his actions and realized just how deeply he felt for the detective.

Would he have gone so far if it had been Hiei? Kuwabara? No. He would have found some other way to startle them. Yuusuke was definitely special.

He couldn't say he disliked that thought.

"I apologize for that, Yuusuke. I never thought my feelings would be expressed in that abrupt and unnecessary manner."

Yuusuke's beautiful chocolates darted about, trying to focus on anything but the fox in front of him, but always managed to lock again with the deep emeralds. He held down the hot blush that threatened to rise on his cheeks. Kurama WAS NOT confessing to him right now. It was not happening. There was no way in the three worlds Kurama would be so open. He kept secrets, he spun pretty words and sentences to confuse, and he certainly didn't just come out of the fucking closet.

"I understand what it feels like not to be in control, to have feelings pushed onto you, and I'm truly sorry I put you in that position. I'm very happy you are alright, more than I can ever express."

"Dude, don't you put all this shit on me."

Genuine confusion colored Kurama's face, while a fierce blush warmed Yuusuke's. This was a trick. It had to be. Kurama was trying to shock the shit outta him again. Maybe he thought he hasn't turned back all the way. He's trying to scare the rest of the possession out of him. There wasn't anything wrong with him! He wasn't going around sniffing people or licking cheeks or peeing on fire hydrants! (Well, at least, not while sober.)

Ha-fucking-ha, Kurama! You got me good, bro!

"Y-You let me down right now. I'm fine, and this shit is not funny."

"This isn't supposed to be 'funny,' Yuusuke. I'm being very serious with you."

Quickly enough, the blush rushed from Yuusuke's face. He wasn't equipped to deal with _emotions_. Urameshi Yuusuke didn't play therapist, at least not for Kurama of all people. He shifted in the vines embrace and earned a tighter hug. Grunting in discomfort, Yuusuke licked his lips and swallowed the lump forming in his throat. How could he let Kurama down easily?

Did he want to let Kurama down at all?

What kind of thought is **_that_**?! Of course, he did! He had Keiko and plans to marry her. Well, sort of. He had and has been on rocky ground with her for a while now. But that was beside the point. That's what he wanted: a wife, a family, an okay job, things he could offer, give, and receive from her. Just what the hell could he give Kurama?

The thought darkened Yuusuke's mood considerably. Seriously, what did he have to offer? It was little wonder why Keiko was beating around the bush with him. His job as Spirit Detective did little to fill his pockets, no one would hire a thug, he had very little education (not that he really wanted one. He hated being in school.), and sure, he wasn't bad looking, but even the most beautiful painting will eventually collect dust.

Not only that, but Yuusuke didn't exactly have a string of women with wet thighs and flushed faces to boast about his performance. He had precisely zero encounters in the bedroom, so he didn't even have that going for him. Keiko had been his one and only, and they had done little more than swap saliva and head-colds.

"Why?" Yuusuke asked suddenly.

"Why what?"

"Why are you telling me all this? I mean, seriously, why are you taking the time to check up on me? And why me? Why did you pick me of all people? What the actual fuck, dude? You're Minamino Shuuichi, Kurama Youko, most eligible bachelor in all the three worlds, why would you settle on Urameshi Yuusuke, the guy who fell ass backwards into the superhero gig and yet seems to still be on the bottom rung of society?"

"First, I'm not 'settling' on you, Yuusuke. You are quite the catch. You have so much confidence in your physical strength, but you have very little pride in what you do to others. You're so confined by your own thoughts that you cannot see yourself."

"Dude, don't evaluate me."

"I can't help it. You force me to do so. You are an enigma, but so very, very easy to decipher. I like that. It's a challenge to guess how you are going to act in regards to a situation, and sometimes, it isn't. When I think I have you figured out, you surprise me. Other times, I could strangle you for being so very predictable, but all in all, I very rarely find someone like you: strong, reliable, loyal, handsome, eager when interest is sparked, and so very pliable. An unpicked lock, too hard for an average thief, but just the right amount of trial for a seasoned veteran."

To this, Yuusuke blushed a deep crimson, and Kurama fought down a smirk in victory. He was steadily realizing he had a thing for making Yuusuke uncomfortable and flustered, but he couldn't concentrate on it fully. He wasn't ignorant to Yuusuke's dark mood. He came to remedy their broken relationship and lightening Yuusuke's mood just factored into the scheme of things. Kurama only needed to make Yuusuke listen and believe his words.

Shouldn't be too much of a challenge. After all, he could talk paint off a wall and make it seem like it was the paint's idea.

"As for why I'm telling you this, why not?" Kurama started. "There's little point in hiding your feelings. If you do, you'll never know how the other person will react and see if a relationship will evolve or devolve. It's that simple.

"As to why I'm taking the time to check up on you, you are a very, very dear friend. As you now know, a dearer friend than you previously thought. I always want to know if you're safe, if you're happy, if you're comfortable. If you aren't, I want to help," Kurama's hand went up and gently rested on the flat plane of Yuusuke's chest. The subtle increase in heart rate didn't go unnoticed, "I didn't take you in just to throw you away after you changed back. You wouldn't do that to me, and more importantly, that's just not what friends do.

For a long while there was nothing but still silence between them. A crooked half-smile beautified Kurama's features, "Any other questions?"

"W-Will you let me down now?"

"Only after you answer a question for me," Yuusuke nodded slightly, unable to take his eyes off the bewitching hybrid in front of him. "What do you feel for me?"

"Dude! Really?!" Yuusuke shrieked, "What kind of question is that?! I don't want to answer!"

"I have no problem standing here all night, Yuusuke. I cleared my schedule just so we could have a heart-to-heart."

"You're a sick man."

A look of pure, albeit faux, elation passed over Kurama's features, "Oh, thank you so much."

"I don't appreciate your sarcasm."

Kurama simply shrugged, crossed his arms, and waited. He told Yuusuke the truth. He could, and would, stand there all night if he had to. Nothing of pressing issue needed attending for the next couple days. Besides, even if there was something he needed to do, he would blow it off in favor of ruffling Yuusuke's feathers. It was so much more entertaining.

"This is on par with the whole bathroom thing," Yuusuke hissed.

"No, it isn't. You're still clothed."

"I am so glad you can poke fun at a traumatic experience. You are the Asshole of the Year! You are a giant bag of dick! That's how I feel about you! There! You have your answer!"

"I don't believe you for a second."

"You wouldn't," Yuusuke huffed.

"I think I love you, Yuusuke," Kurama suddenly said, not allowing silence to settle on them.

Yuusuke stared, mind completely blank, except for the dim awareness that his nose might be bleeding for more than just being smashed against the concrete. How dare Kurama do this to him?

And, more importantly, how dare he feel the same way?

All the mirrors that made up his fragile mind shattered at the single thought punctuating his flat-lining brain. Worse, those glittering, reflective fragments were viciously stomped and happily danced upon as he immediately replied with:

"I like you too, dude."

A chuckle and the vines released him, gently lowering him onto the filthy pavement. Yuusuke tried to hide in his jacket, much like a scared turtle, and didn't even dare to look at the gorgeous fox. When he could no longer fit anymore of his body into his tunic, he rubbed at the barely-there red marks on his wrists the vines left behind.

He dared a glare at the withering foliage, but quickly looked away, afraid that if he sent too much negative energy, they would lash out. They weren't part of Kurama; he was convinced they had a dastardly agenda of their own, and the only thing keeping them at bay was his admission to sharing these terribly embarrassing, fuzzy feelings with Kurama.

"I guess that's the power of l. . . liking someone a lot."

Kurama chuckled again as he watched Yuusuke. He was still such a child in so many ways, but he could be adult enough for the both of them. Most of the time anyway. He expected a lot of things from Yuusuke the moment he plainly spoke his feelings: revulsion, fear, maybe even surprise, but innocent acceptance, with a dash of 'highly anticipated' Yuusuke obnoxiousness, wasn't one of them. It all went back to the challenge that was Urameshi Yuusuke.

Quickly, Kurama pressed his lips to the pouting corner of Yuusuke's lips, earning a jump and a wide-eyed stare.

"Warn me when you're going to do that!"

"Alright. Yuusuke, I'm going to steal another kiss."

The detective couldn't react fast enough or even decide on a proper reaction. He was pulled into a loose embrace and another gentle kiss followed, but this time, Kurama didn't pull away immediately after. Instead, he let his petal-soft lips linger against Yuusuke's chapped ones, as if gauging Yuusuke's reaction. Yuusuke pulled back slightly, confused, but curious.

What the fuck was Kurama playing at?

A normal reaction would be to punch him, to call him a jerk for putting him in this position, but Yuusuke decided he needed to get over himself. He told Kurama he liked him (rather lamely might he add), and he was going to man-up. A little bit. Maybe.

He rocked back and forth toward him for a moment before crashing his mouth to Kurama's, knocking teeth and biting his tongue in the process. Kurama showed no signs of discomfort even as Yuusuke pulled away and cursed under his breath.

"You know, you weren't this hesitant or graceless when you gave me kisses as a puppy."

"Fuck you!"

* * *

**Author's Note:** This chapter was awkward and I hate it, but whatever. Thank you all for being patient. This is the last chapter to this story (bout fucking time right?), and I hope you enjoyed.

I'd like to take a moment and address the crappy 'revelation' scene. I don't particularly like stories that demonstrate a continuous, circular, chapters-long dance around the characters' emotions. I mean, on occasion they're a nice, entertaining read, but I do not believe that Kurama would beat around the bush. I'm under the impression that if Kurama finds something he likes, he's gonna go for it. If it yields little reward or give, he'll simply move on with grace. If it's more than what he expected, either bad or good, he'll roll with it. After all, you don't become a master thief without learning to take things in stride. Plans change, and life throws curves at you.

Yuusuke, however, will deny everything until the day he dies (again); at least, until someone kicks him in the ass. This time, it happened to be Kurama, which is for the best because I do believe that while Yuusuke is mostly unpredictable, Kurama's good with that sort of thing.

If you hated that there was very little chase and both parties struggling with the inner turmoil of having feelings for the other, then, err, I'm sorry I guess. (I'm really not =/ ).

P.S. Don't hate me for the Adventure Time reference.


End file.
